World Cup stories: Essam El Hadary finally gets his day in the sun | OneFootball

Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo. Follow Gezira Street south and bear left onto Qasr-Al Nil Bridge. Go past Sadat Metro Station and you’re there.

It’s not really the most impressive site in the city – you need to get a cab to Giza for that. But forget Tutankhamun and Cleopatra. This is history right now. Living and breathing.

It’s been the location and focus of political demonstrations in Egypt for decades and in 2011, that was no different. What started as a protest against police brutality morphed into what would eventually become the Arab Spring and the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak’s government.

Almost exactly a year after they’d won a third consecutive African Cup of Nations title, the country of Pyramids and Pharaohs was starting on a path to mass rioting and coup d’etats.

It’s difficult to hold something as insignificant as a football team together when you’re entire nation is on the verge of collapse, but that’s what Essam El Hadary was trying to do.

Perhaps the greatest goalkeeper the continent has ever produced, El Hadary will make his World Cup debut this summer – and at the tender age of 45. He’ll become the oldest player to ever grace the tournament and will cap an international career that has seen the full gamut of emotions.

What makes El Hadary so special though, is he’s not going to Russia for sentimental reasons. He’s not there for team morale as they enter the world’s biggest football stage for the first time since 1990. No, El Hadary is there on merit and will start the opening match of the tournament against Uruguay.

It’s been some journey for the man old enough to be most of his teammates’ dad. Having made his debut for the national team in 1996, it wasn’t really until 2002 that he truly cemented his place as Egypt’s starting shot-stopper.

Taking Nader El-Sayed’s spot between the posts, the man known as The High Dam was named Best Goalkeeper at the 2006, 2008 and 2010 AFCON tournaments – all of which Egypt would win.

With the likes of Ahmed El Mohammadi, Mohamed Zidan and Ahmed Hassan, the South Africa World Cup looked well within their reach, but a 1-0 defeat to Algeria in a play-off ended their hopes of making it to the world stage on African soil.

Unfortunately for such a talented group, that would be their last, fleeting taste, of international competition for almost a decade.

The Arab Spring would change politics in the region forever, but it was the Port Said Disaster that would prove, ultimately, to be the biggest catalyst for change in Egyptian football.

Al-Masry had beaten Al-Ahly 3-1 in February 1, 2012, but following some skirmishes in the stadium a riot broke out with the supporters attacking each other with knives, bottles and fireworks. The police on the ground refused to open stadium gates, leaving many crushed in the ensuing stampede for the exit.

74 people lost their lives that day, with a further 500 suffering serious injuries.

In the aftermath, several figures came forward as beacons of authority and calm for the nation – El Hadary was one of them.

Football was suspended completely for the next two years in Egypt, with El Hadary moving to Sudanese club Al Merreikh. It was there he stopped a repeat of Port Said, remonstrating with his own fans after they threatened to riot after a referee had abandoned a match.

In the international arena, with all domestic football halted, The Pharaohs could not qualify for the 2012, 2013 and 2015 AFCON tournaments, as well as the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

But with domestic tensions in 2016 eased, football in the country restored, Mohamed Salah in the form of his life and El Hadary doing his best Lev Yashin impression in goal, Hector Cuper’s men made it, against all odds, to Russia.

“I won 37 trophies and I enjoyed some remarkable moments,” he told reporters back in January. “The only thing missing for me is a World Cup appearance.”

The Arab Spring was the start of a new Egypt. Russia 2018 will be a glorious end for Essam El Hadary.