Name: Essam Kamal Tawfiq El Hadary عصام الحضري
Nickname: "The High Dam السد العالي"


Country: Egypt
Club: Al Ahly SC 1996-2008 | FC Sion 2008-2009 | Ismaily SC 2009-2010
Position: *GK
Side: RF/BS
Age: 33-37 years (15/01/1973)

Height: 188 cm
Weight: 87 kg

Attack: 30
Defence: 86
Balance: 86
Stamina: 69
Top Speed: 66
Acceleration: 71
Response: 89
Agility: 76
Dribble Accuracy: 51
Dribble Speed: 50
Short Pass Accuracy: 55
Short Pass Speed: 55
Long Pass Accuracy: 57
Long Pass Speed: 62
Shot Accuracy: 44
Shot Power: 85
Shot Technique: 43
Free Kick Accuracy: 45
Curling: 45
Header: 44
Jump: 79
Technique: 53
Aggression: 65
Mentality: 86
Goalkeeper Skills: 84
Team Work: 75

Injury Tolerance: A
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 7
Growth type: Late peak

CARDS:
S11 - Penalty Saver

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Penalty Stopper

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Defence Minded


INFO:

Essam El-Hadary, the legendary Egyptian goalkeeper nicknamed "The High Dam," began his career at Damietta before moving to Al Ahly, where he won 7 league titles and 3 CAF Champions League trophies. With the Egyptian national team, he won four Africa Cup of Nations titles (1998, 2006, 2008, 2010) and was named best goalkeeper in three consecutive editions. He was distinguished by his superb penalty-saving ability (14 penalties) and his mental and physical fitness that kept him on the pitch until the age of 47. In the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he made history as the oldest player ever to feature in a World Cup (45 years and 161 days), the first African goalkeeper to save a penalty in the tournament, and the oldest goalkeeper to save a penalty in World Cup history. He played for numerous clubs, including FC Sion, Zamalek, Al-Merrikh, and Al-Taawoun. He officially retired from football on November 18, 2020, after a stellar career packed with 38 trophies. He earned global praise from stars like Didier Drogba, and his gloves were placed in the FIFA Museum. After retirement, he turned to coaching, serving as the goalkeeping coach for the Egyptian and Syrian national teams. His records and achievements remain a testament to his status as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of Arab and African football. In making saves, El-Hadary relies heavily on positioning and standing in the right angle at the right time. However, his main weakness is that he rarely catches long-range shots; instead, he often punches or parries them back into the penalty area, which occasionally allows opponents to score from rebounds.