International Football
AT 74, EGYPTIAN MAKES RECORD AS OLDEST PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER
World football governing body has in its online publication celebrated the oldest professional footballer in the world.
Ezzeldin Bahader of Egypt is the oldest professional footballer to play in an official game.
The civil engineer set a Guinness World Record for this aged 74 and 125 days.. He has six grandchildren.
“Nothing is easy, but nothing is impossible,” said Ezzeldin Bahader, describing his entry into the Guinness World Records after he became the oldest footballer to take part in an official match when he played in Egypt’s third division back on 6 March.
A grandfather of six who turned 75 last Tuesday, Bahader lined up for his club October 6 against El Ayat last month to realise a dream that began last March, when he played his first official game for the club and scored a goal, setting a record that will take some beating.
FIFA.com spoke with Bahader about his experience, how he managed to achieve his dream, and his future ambitions.
FIFA.com: You recently made football history when you became the world’s oldest professional footballer. Where did that idea come from and who encouraged you to pursue it?
Ezzeldin Bahader: I’ve always longed to play for a big club but it remained just a dream. So I began to pursue another goal when I found out that the oldest person to play professionally was a 53-year-old striker [Kazuyoshi Miura from Japan]. Seeing the enormous age gap between me and him, I decided to give it a try. At first, I didn’t tell anyone about my objective, and I was trying to motivate myself, but when my family learned about it, they encouraged me a lot.
What impact did the pandemic have on your bid, and how did you prepare over the past six months?
The pandemic had a negative impact on me, especially since the league was suspended just two days before the [second] game I was going to play. This was a shock to me, but during that downtime I practiced with my son and watched a lot of training exercises online so I could do them at home. This period impacted on my match preparation, because training with a club is very different from training at home.
How did your team-mates at October 6 feel when you trained with them for the first time?
They gave me a warm reception. We talked and laughed a lot, but then they told me that they’d expected an old person who’d treat them like kids! They quickly put me to the test, asking me to take some shots on goal. I did that and they were good, so they were pleased in the end.
Your first match was back in March against Genius. How did it go given it was your first official appearance?
I was so nervous and what made it more difficult was that my knee and hamstring muscle were swollen, but my team-mates encouraged me a lot. As soon as the match started, I got swept up by the atmosphere and the nerves disappeared.
Not only did you take part in that game, but you also scored a goal from the spot and became the oldest goalscorer. Was that record on your mind too?
Indeed, I was hoping to score a goal, but it wasn’t that easy. We played against a tough team that were battling to avoid relegation to the next division. We were awarded a penalty in the final minutes and I successfully converted it.
On 17 October, you played the whole match against third division side El Ayat to officially become the oldest player to complete two matches. How did you feel before and during that game?
It wasn’t easy because I got a middle-ear infection two weeks before the game. I lost some balance and my movement was affected, so I couldn’t finish a training session and feared I’d miss the game. During the match, I also felt a bit dizzy. Moreover, the two teams wore similar shirts which made things more difficult. However, all my team-mates and the technical team insisted that I play the whole match. I managed to score my team’s second goal from a set-piece that we’d practiced in training.
How did the El Ayat players deal with you, given you were so much older than them, and did you face any difficulties?
The El Ayat players looked surprised and a bit uncomfortable before the game, but I broke the ice by shaking their hands. They even took pictures with me before the game. I also asked them not to make any crunching tackles on me so that I wouldn’t get injured.
Do you think what you’ve done will motivate others to continue playing longer?
Of course, this will give an incentive to players, particularly as many retire at relatively young ages. That said, I’d like to propose the idea of organising a tournament for players over 40. It would give an opportunity to many players who we used to watch to maintain their fitness and show their skills. It’d provide continuity and prove that age is just a number.
The oldest player ever to take part in a FIFA World Cup™ is Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary. Could we see Ezzeldin Bahader playing for the Egyptian national team one day?
This is a very long shot (laughs)! I’ll continue to train hard and improve my skills and fitness, and if an opportunity arises, I’ll definitely seize it.
The only thing harder than getting to the top is staying there. What are your future ambitions?
I believe that I’ve achieved something which anyone with willpower and determination can do. Maintaining a good level and fitness, especially at this age, is difficult, but getting fit in the first place was difficult as well. I’ll try to continue to play and train because I enjoy playing football so much, and no one knows what the future holds.
French soccer icon Zinedine Zidane has agreed to take over his national team’s head coaching duties following this summer’s FIFA World Cup, ESPN reported Monday.
Zidane, 53, reportedly reached a verbal agreement with the Federation Francaise de Football to replace Didier Deschamps, who has held the role since 2012.
Zidane, who managed La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid for two stints (2016-18, 2019-21), has long been expected to eventually become the skipper for France.
As a player, the dynamic midfielder won the 1998 Ballon d’Or and was a three-time FIFA World Player of the Year (1998, 2000 and 2003). He helped France win the World Cup in 1998 and finish second in 2006. He was infamously sent off during the final of the 2006 World Cup when he headbutted Italy’s Marco Materazzi in the chest.
-Reuters
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The ‘Finalissima’ match between Spain and Argentina that was scheduled to be held in Qatar has been cancelled due to the conflict in the Middle East, while the South American side rejected multiple alternatives, UEFA said on Sunday.
The U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have affected countries throughout the Gulf, disrupting travel in some of the world’s busiest transit hubs and forcing several sporting events to be cancelled due to safety concerns.
The contest between European champions Spain and Copa America winners Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, where fans would have had the opportunity to watch Lionel Messi go head-to-head with Lamine Yamal.
UEFA said they held discussions with the organising authorities in Qatar and concluded that the match could not take place due to the “current political situation” in the region.
“It is a source of great disappointment to UEFA and the organisers that circumstances and timing have denied the teams of the chance to compete for this prestigious prize in Qatar,” UEFA said in a statement.
Qatar’s Local Organising Committee said airspace disruption and travel restrictions led to the cancellation of its Qatar Football Festival, where the host country, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Serbia were also set to play friendly games this month.
The Football Association of Serbia later announced they would play away in Spain on March 27 and host Saudi Arabia four days later.
OTHER ALTERNATIVES REJECTED BY ARGENTINA
The Finalissima’s cancellation was not just about Qatar’s security concerns, however, with UEFA saying they explored other feasible alternatives, but they proved to be ‘unacceptable’ to the Argentinian Football Association (AFA).
UEFA first offered to stage the match at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid with a 50:50 split of supporters in the stadium.
A second option was to stage the Finalissima over two legs — at the Bernabeu on March 27 and the second leg in Buenos Aires during an international window before the next Euros and Copa America in 2028.
However, the AFA rejected both options. UEFA said Argentina made a counter offer to play the game after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates.
“Ultimately, UEFA sought a commitment from Argentina that, if a neutral venue in Europe could be found, the game could go ahead on 27 March… or on the alternative date of 30 March. This proposal was also rejected,” UEFA added.
SPAIN WERE READY TO PLAY
The Spanish football federation (RFEF) said they had offered Argentina “all possible options” in collaboration with UEFA to ensure the match went ahead, adding that they had the organisational capacity to stage the clash on short notice.
“From the very outset, the Federation has expressed its absolute commitment to ensuring this match goes ahead, as it believes it brings prestige and international reputation at a crucial time in a World Cup year,” the RFEF said.
“Furthermore, it has worked tirelessly to achieve this. Spain was prepared to play, as has always been stated.”
The 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada kicks off on June 11.
The 2022 edition of the Finalissima was held at Wembley Stadium in London where Argentina beat Italy 3-0.
-Reuters
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Soccer chiefs from Europe and South America will hold a final meeting before a Thursday deadline to decide whether and where this month’s “Finalissima” between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London emerging as the leading candidate after doubts over Doha, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America holders Argentina had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
However, it has become increasingly unlikely that Qatar will host the fixture after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has been pushing for a swift resolution, mindful that the March international break is viewed as vital preparation ahead of the June-July World Cup in North America.
“I know that negotiations are underway,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Spanish Public Radio (RNE) on Monday. “The first thing, as a society, is to stop the conflict, but once you are immersed in it and you don’t know how long it will last, the solution would be, as long as you can’t play there, to find another venue as soon as possible.
Wembley Stadium staged the previous edition in 2022, when Argentina beat Italy, but it is set to host England v Uruguay on March 27. London, however, has other stadiums capable of staging the showpiece, leaving the English capital as the most likely alternative should Doha be ruled out, sources confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE OPPONENTS CONSIDERED
While keen to face Argentina and high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, sources told Reuters that Spain had made clear their priority was not to waste the last window of international fixtures before the World Cup and they were already contemplating alternative opponents.
With Spain also due to face Egypt three days later, any change would require agreement between the RFEF and European soccer body UEFA, South American confederation CONMEBOL, global governing body FIFA and the Argentine FA (AFA).
The RFEF, AFA and UEFA did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A spokesperson for South American confederation CONMEBOL told Reuters that several meetings between the parties had taken place in recent days but did not confirm Thursday’s deadline or London as the preferred venue.
Madrid was initially proposed by the RFEF but rejected by the AFA, who preferred a neutral venue rather than giving Spain home advantage.
Morocco offered to stage the game, but the RFEF was unwilling to back their Mediterranean neighbours amid tensions behind the scenes over the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Morocco and Portugal will co-host. Both Spain and Morocco are campaigning to stage the final.
Miami was also considered, with Messi based there at Inter Miami, but Hard Rock Stadium is hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament at the same time.
-Reuters
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