Ali El-Hassani

Ali El-Hassani was one of Egypt’s earliest football giants and was also well-known for his activities during the 1919 Revolution, where he served as a bodyguard for the women’s marches. As a footballer, he joined El-Mukhtalat (now Zamalek) in 1914 and remained with them through 1923, winning the Sultan Hussein Cup twice (1921 and 1922), the inaugural Egypt Cup in 1922 and the inaugural Cairo League (predecessor to the current Egyptian Premier League) in 1923. He was then with Al-Ahly from 1924 through 1927, capturing the Sultan Hussein Cup three times (1925-1927), the Egypt Cup three times (1924, 1925, and 1927), and the Cairo League once (1925). He then returned to Mukhtalat and won the Cairo League in 1929, before bouncing back to Al-Ahly and taking two Egypt Cups (1930 and 1931), one Sultan Hussein Cup (1931), and one Cairo League title (1931). He then transferred to Mukhtalat once again and won the Cairo League in 1932 and 1934. He concluded his career with El-Sekka El-Hadid, winning the Sultan Hussein Cup in his final year, 1936.

Internationally, El-Hassani was selected to represent Egypt in three editions of the Olympic football tournament. In 1920, the nation was eliminated in round one, while in 1924 it survived to the quarterfinals. In 1928 they lost the bronze medal match to Italy. In 1958, an accident left him a quadriplegic, but he lived for many years after, despite rumors of his early death.