Ahmed Khattab: Abdullah El Said Is Egypt’s Best, and John Edward Was Among the Reasons Zamalek Won the League

Former Pharco head coach Ahmed Khattab discussed key moments in his football career and praised Abdullah El Said, whom he considers Egypt’s best player over the past five years because of his consistency across 15 seasons.

Khattab said he began as a goalkeeper at the age of 13 at Maleya Kafr El Zayat, then moved to Petrojet, where he worked with Mokhtar Mokhtar. He said he learned during that spell from the club’s outstanding goalkeepers, and also praised coach Nuno Almeida. He spoke as well about the late Ehab Galal, describing him as a great person and noting that he was emotionally affected after Galal left his role as Egypt national team coach. Khattab said he used to sit with him every day after dawn prayers.

Khattab described John Edward as the most important person in his professional life in terms of professionalism, explaining that he worked with him for nine years. He said the unity among Zamalek’s players and the structure within the club were among the reasons the team won the league last season.

Khattab criticised what he saw as a lack of logic in the way players are evaluated domestically, saying a player’s value may rise at the start of his career before perceptions of him change quickly. He also defended Imam Ashour against criticism, pointing to his contribution to Al Ahly winning numerous titles, and said that struggling to maintain a consistent level is one of the biggest problems facing Egyptian players.