Mohamed Aboutreika recently announced that he will retire from professional football after the FIFA Club World Cup, which began this week in Morocco.
The 35-year-old, who is widely considered one of Egypt’s best-ever footballers, will have a chance to add to his joint-record tally of four goals in the event and eclipse Argentinian forward Lionel Messi and Brazilian striker Denilson when Ahly meet Asian champions Guangzhou Evergrande of China in their opener in Agadir on Saturday.
There have been calls for Aboutreika, who is revered by Egyptian football fans, to make a U-turn on his retirement plans, but he has thus far insisted he will stick to his decision. Ahead of his career swan song, FIFA.com takes a look over some of the statistics that have helped shape the Al Ahly legend’s remarkable career.
23 – The age at which Aboutreika made his Egypt debut in a friendly game at home to Estonia in 2001
38 – His goal tally for the national team, established over the course of 100 appearances.
1 – Aboutreika’s first international goal came in Egypt’s 2-1 friendly victory at home to Trinidad and Tobago in 2004.
1 – Another notable strike was the solitary, decisive goal in the 2008 CAF Africa Cup of Nations final, a 1-0 win over Cameroon.
5 – The number of CAF Champions League titles he has won with Al Ahly, in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012 and 2013. They lifted the trophy this year despite not playing domestic football, topping South Africa’s Orlando Pirates in the two-legged final.
15 – The 35-year-old is Egypt’s leading scorer in FIFA World Cup™ qualifying campaigns with 15 goals.
The number of successive Cup of Nations titles won by Aboutreika in 2006 and 2008.
106 – The Ah Ahly star has found the net 106 times in the Egyptian Premier League, with 27 goals for Tersana and 79 for his current employers.
32 – Aboutreika has scored 32 times for Al Ahly in African competitions, including a remarkable last-gasp winner over Tunisia’s Sfaxien in the 2006 Champions League final.
13 – He is the all-time top scorer in the Cairo derby against rivals Zamalek with 13 goals.
1 – The Egypt veteran’s only spell abroad came with United Arab Emirates side Baniyas, whom he joined on a short-term loan deal earlier this year.
4 – Aboutreika shares the record for most goals in the FIFA Club World Cup (4) with Lionel Messi and Brazilian striker Denilson. Three of his tally were registered in the 2006 edition, when he finished as top scorer.
10 – Along with Ahly teammates Wael Gomaa and Hossam Ashour, he has made ten FIFA Club World Cup appearances – a tournament record.
Confederation of African Football News
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