Ahmed Hegazi
أحمد حجازي
Hegazi with Egypt at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Ahmed Elsayed Ali Elsayed Hegazy[1]
Date of birth (1991-01-25) 25 January 1991 (age 33)[2]
Place of birth Ismailia, Egypt
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)[3]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Al-Ittihad
Number 26
Youth career
Ismaily
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 Ismaily 28 (0)
2012–2015 Fiorentina 3 (0)
2015 → Perugia (loan) 10 (0)
2015–2017 Al Ahly 40 (0)
2017 → West Bromwich Albion (loan) 21 (1)
2017–2021 West Bromwich Albion 72 (3)
2020–2021 → Al-Ittihad (loan) 26 (2)
2021– Al-Ittihad 79 (9)
International career‡
2009–2011 Egypt U20 13 (5)
2011–2014 Egypt U23 3 (0)
2021 Egypt Olympic (O.P.) 4 (0)
2011– Egypt 83 (2)
Medal record
Representing  Egypt
Men's football
Africa Cup of Nations
Runner-up 2017 Gabon
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 April 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 March 2023

Ahmed Elsayed Ali Elsayed Hegazy (Egyptian Arabic: أحمد السيد علي السيد حجازي; born 25 January 1991), simply known as Ahmed Hegazi, is an Egyptian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for and captains both Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad and the Egypt national team.

Hegazi has played for the senior Egyptian national team since 2011; during this period, his only absences from the squad have been due to injury. He has represented Egypt in the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 2011 African U-20 Championship, 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, the 2012 Summer Olympics, 2017 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In 2017, he was included in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations CAF Team of the tournament due to his impressive performances.

Club career

Ismaily

Hegazi's professional playing career began on 24 November 2009, when he made his debut with Egyptian Premier League club Ismaily playing as a full back.

Fiorentina

On 22 December 2011, the Egyptian club announced having made a deal with Italian side Fiorentina in exchange for €1.5 million. The Egyptian company received a 15% sell on fee.[4] Hegazi was given the number 3 shirt at Fiorentina. He made his unofficial debut for the club playing 30 minutes in a friendly against Viareggio.

On 18 November 2012, he played 15 minutes in his official debut against Atalanta and scored his first goal for La Viola later that month in the second half of a Coppa Italia match against Juve Stabia on 28 November. On 12 December, Fiorentina announced that Hegazi had completed surgery after sustaining a severe leg injury in training. The club also announced that he had undergone reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament. The expected recovery period before the player could return to sports activity was 5–6 months. In September 2013, he suffered another blow as he injured the same ligament again in training and took him out for six months[5] making him miss most of the season.

On 8 December 2014, Fiorentina announced that the player would be released in January 2015, along with Octávio, Mounir El Hamdaoui, Oleksandr Iakovenko and Joshua Brillante.[6]

Perugia loan

On 2 February 2015, Hegazi joined Serie B side Perugia on loan for the rest of 2014–15 Serie B.[7] He made his debut for the club in a 3–1 loss to Vicenza, playing the whole 90 minutes. It was his first complete match in Italy.[8]

Al Ahly SC

On 1 September 2015, Hegazi joined Egyptian Premier League side Al Ahly of Cairo on a five-year contract.

West Bromwich Albion

Hegazi playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2017

On 17 July 2017, Hegazi joined Premier League side West Bromwich Albion on loan from Al Ahly until the end of the 2017–18 season, with Albion holding an option to trigger a permanent transfer.[9] Hegazi made his Premier League debut for West Brom on 12 August, scoring a headed goal in a 1–0 win against AFC Bournemouth and winning the man of the match award.[10] In the following match he received the award for the second time in a row, as West Brom defeated hosts Burnley and made their best start to a top flight campaign since the 1978–79 season.[11]

On 18 December 2017, West Brom exercised the option to sign Hegazi permanently,[12] however he could not help save the club from relegation, ending their eight year stay in the Premier League.

Hegazi made 38 league appearances in the 2018/19 season and scored his only goal in a 2-1 win away at Swansea. West Brom went on to lose to local rivals Aston Villa in the Championship play-off semi final.

In July 2019, after undergoing ankle surgery, it was announced that he would miss the first few weeks of the 2019–20 season.[13]

Al-Ittihad (loan)

On 26 October 2020, Hegazi joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad on loan from West Bromwich Albion until the end of the 2020–21 season.[14]

Al-Ittihad

After the 2020–21 season, Hegazi joined Al-Ittihad permanently.

In the 2022–23 season, Hegazi won Al-Ittihad's first ever Saudi Super Cup. He also helped the club win their ninth league title, refusing to leave the pitch after an injury during the title-winning game of the season.

International career

Hegazi made his international debut with the senior Egypt national team in an away game against Sierra Leone in 2011 when he was only 20 years and 7 months old.

Ever since he has been a regular on the national team and has only missed games due to injury; in December 2016 Héctor Cúper, the Egypt national football team coach included him in the squad to compete in the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.[15] Hegazi was a regular in the back four during the tournament, playing every single minute and displaying a solid performance as the Egyptians went all the way to the final. His performance earned him an inclusion in the CAF Team of the tournament.[16]

On 17 November 2020, during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Hegazi captained the Egypt national team for the first time, playing 90 minutes in a 1–3 away win against Togo.[17]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 1 April 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season Division League National cup[a] League cup[b] Continental Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ismaily 2009–10 Egyptian Premier League 12 0 1 0 — 3[c] 0 — 16 0
2010–11 Egyptian Premier League 7 0 3 0 — 0 0 — 10 0
2011–12 Egyptian Premier League 9 0 0 0 — — — 9 0
Total 28 0 4 0 — 3 0 — 35 0
Fiorentina 2012–13 Serie A 2 0 1 1 — — — 3 1
2013–14 Serie A 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 — 1 0
Total 3 0 1 1 — 0 0 — 4 1
Perugia Calcio (loan) 2014–15 Serie B 10 0 0 0 — — — 10 0
Al Ahly 2015–16 Egyptian Premier League 29 0 1 0 — 8[c] 1 1[d] 0 39 1
2016–17 Egyptian Premier League 11 0 3 0 — 6[c] 1 1[d] 0 21 1
Total 40 0 4 0 — 14 2 2 0 60 2
West Bromwich Albion 2017–18[18] Premier League 38 2 3 0 1 0 — — 42 2
2018–19[19] Championship 38 1 0 0 2 0 — — 40 1
2019–20[20] Championship 16 1 2 0 0 0 — — 18 1
2020–21[21] Premier League 1 0 0 0 0 0 — — 1 0
Total 93 4 5 0 3 0 — — 101 4
Al-Ittihad 2020–21 Saudi Pro League 26 2 2 1 — — 2[e] 0 30 3
2021–22 Saudi Pro League 18 3 1 0 — — — 19 3
2022–23 Saudi Pro League 28 4 3 0 — — 2[f] 0 33 4
2023–24 Saudi Pro League 7 0 1 2 — 5[g] 0 2[h] 0 15 2
Total 79 9 7 3 — 5 0 6 0 97 12
Career total 253 13 21 4 3 0 22 2 8 0 307 19
  1. ^ Includes Egypt Cup, Coppa Italia, FA Cup, King Cup
  2. ^ Includes EFL Cup
  3. ^ a b c Appearances in CAF Champions League
  4. ^ a b Appearance in Egyptian Super Cup
  5. ^ Appearances in Arab Club Champions Cup
  6. ^ Appearances in Saudi Super Cup
  7. ^ Appearances in AFC Champions League
  8. ^ Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup

International

As of match played 27 September 2022[22]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Egypt
2011 3 0
2012 12 0
2013 4 1
2015 7 0
2016 5 0
2017 11 0
2018 9 1
2019 8 0
2020 2 0
2021 12 0
2022 7 0
Total 80 2
As of the match played on 16 October 2018. Egypt's score is listed; first, the score column indicates the score after each Hegazi goal.[22]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 4 June 2013 30 June Stadium, Cairo, Egypt 16  Botswana 1–1 1–1 Friendly [23]
2 16 October 2018 Mavuso Sports Centre, Manzini, Swaziland 50  Eswatini 1–0 2–0 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

Honours

Al Ahly

Al-Ittihad

Egypt

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Updated squads for 2017/18 Premier League confirmed". Premier League. 2 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  2. ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia: List of players: Egypt" (PDF). FIFA. 17 June 2018. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Ahmed Hegazi". Saudi Pro League. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  4. ^ "Ismaily approve Ahmed Hegazi's €1.5 million move to Fiorentina". Goal.com. 11 April 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  5. ^ "Fiorentina's Hegazy blow - Football Italia". www.football-italia.net.
  6. ^ "مصحح.. فيورنتينا يعرض حجازي للبيع". FilGoal.com.
  7. ^ "Egypt's Hegazy joins Serie B side Perugia on loan from Fiorentina - Talents Abroad - Sports - Ahram Online". english.ahram.org. e.g. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  8. ^ "حجازي يخسر مباراته الأولى بقميص بيروجيا". FilGoal.com.
  9. ^ "Albion complete Hegazi deal". West Bromwich Albion FC. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  10. ^ Lofthouse, Amy (12 August 2017). "West Bromwich Albion 1-0 Bournemouth". BBC Sport. Retrieved 13 August 2017.
  11. ^ Sutcliffe, Steven (19 August 2017). "Burnley 0 West Brom 1: Substitute Hal Robson-Kanu goes from hero to zero after seeing red in Turf Moor cameo". telegraph.co.uk.
  12. ^ "Hegazi commits future to Albion" (Press release). West Bromwich Albion F.C. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
  13. ^ "Ahmed Hegazi: West Brom defender to miss start of season". BBC Sport. 25 July 2019.
  14. ^ a b "Al Ittihad seal Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazy on loan". 26 October 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Hector Cuper announce Egypt's final squad FOR 2017 AFCON in GABON". nilesports.com.
  16. ^ www.realnet.co.uk. "Cameroon striker Christian Bassogog named AFCON Player of the Tournament". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  17. ^ "Egypt beats Togo to go top, Sierra Leone holds Nigeria again". CAFOnline. 17 November 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Games played by Ahmed Hegazi in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  19. ^ "Games played by Ahmed Hegazi in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  20. ^ "Games played by Ahmed Hegazi in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  21. ^ "Games played by Ahmed Hegazi in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  22. ^ a b "Hegazy, Ahmed". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  23. ^ Samuel, Israel (5 June 2013). "Botswana hold Egypt in friendly". Futaa.com. Archived from the original on 25 May 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  24. ^ Amy Lofthouse (5 February 2017). "Egypt 1 - 2 Cameroon". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  25. ^ "AFCON 2017: CAF names team of the tournament". soccer24.co.zw. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  26. ^ "مدرب وحارس الفيحاء .. ومدافع الاتحاد وواعد الشباب يحصدون أولى جوائز الأفضلية". Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2021.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ahmed Hegazy.
Al-Ittihad – current squad
Egypt squads
2017 Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament
More
Categories