Rifaat El-Fanaguili

Rifaat El-Fanaguili had to work as a carpenter to help support his family during his youth, but he played football at every opportunity that he got. After experimenting with several clubs, he was recruited from the Suez Club to Al-Ahly during the 1953-1954 season. He remained with that team until his 1970 retirement, and over the course of his domestic career earned seven Egyptian Premier League titles (1954, 1956-1959, 1961, and 1962) and the Egypt Cup four times (1956, 1958, 1961, and 1966). He also played for the national team of Egypt (known politically as the United Arab Republic from 1958 through 1971, following its brief 1958-1961 union with Syria) and represented his nation at two editions of the Olympic football tournament. In 1960 the UAR was eliminated in the preliminary round, but in 1964 the team survived to the bronze medal match, where it was eliminated by Germany. He also appeared in the first four editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, winning in 1957 and 1959, placing second in 1962, and coming in third in 1963. He spent several seasons coaching with his hometown Damietta SC, but left sport completely due to his disagreements with its politics and later operated a car rental business. A street in Damietta was named in his honour after his death.