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Friday, March 29, 2024

Egyptian striker plays first match to qualify as oldest professional footballer

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Egyptian striker plays first match to qualify as oldest professional footballer
Egyptian striker plays first match to qualify as oldest professional footballer

RESENDING WITH FULL STORY VIDEO SHOWS: SEVENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD EZZELDIN BAHADER PLAYING FIRST OF TWO MATCHES FOR THIRD-TIER CLUB OCTOBER 6 IN GIZA / SOUNDBITES BY BAHADER AND CLUB'S COACH AHMED ABDEL

RESENDING WITH FULL STORY VIDEO SHOWS: SEVENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD EZZELDIN BAHADER PLAYING FIRST OF TWO MATCHES FOR THIRD-TIER CLUB OCTOBER 6 IN GIZA / SOUNDBITES BY BAHADER AND CLUB'S COACH AHMED ABDEL GHANY SHOWS: GIZA, EGYPT (MARCH 7, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

EZZELDIN BAHADER, 75-YEAR-OLD HOPING TO QUALIFY AS OLDEST PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYER, IN CHANGING ROOM WITH TEAM MATES 2.

BAHADER WALKING PAST SPECTATORS TO PITCH 3.

BAHADER WARMING UP WITH TRAINER 4.

BAHADER DURING MATCH 5.

BAHADER SCORING FROM PENALTY, CELEBRATING GOAL WITH TEAM MATES 6.

VARIOUS OF BAHADER PLAYING 7.

SPECTATORS 8.

BAHADER PLAYING 9.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 75-YEAR-OLD EZZELDIN BAHADER, SPEAKING AFTER THE MATCH, SAYING: "I became the oldest professional footballer scoring a goal in an official game.

This is something that was achieved in the last minute of the game that I thought I won't achieve.

I was injured and all what I hoped for was to continue for the full 90 minutes and play the next game." 10.

BAHADER POSING FOR PICTURES WITH PLAYERS FROM BOTH TEAMS 11.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) 75-YEAR-OLD EZZELDIN BAHADER, APEAKING AFTER THE MATCH, SAYING: "Today, we played so hard.

I was injured and I wanted to continue the entire 90 minutes in any possible way.

I play with an injury and I want to stay fit for the next game.

We performed very well and I scored a goal which I was waiting for." 12.

BAHADER PLAYING 13.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) COACH OF BAHADER'S TEAM, OCTOBER 6, AHMED ABDEL GHANY, SAYING: "Honestly, we won't benefit from him 100 percent on the technical side, but we rehabilitated him in the previous period so that he would be able to play the required 90 minutes or 180 minutes (to qualify for the Guinness World Records book).

It is very good for Egypt to have someone in the Guinness Book of Records and for us to have him in the October 6 club." 14.

SPECTATORS APPLAUDING/BANGING DRUM STORY: Egyptian Ezzeldin Bahader is on the verge of entering the record books as the oldest professional soccer player in the world.

The 75-year-old plays for the October 6 side in the country's third division and on Saturday (March 7) appeared in the first of two games he needs to qualify for an entry in the Guinness World Records book.

He recently returned from a knee injury and marked the game by scoring from the penalty spot in the 1-1 draw against rivals Genius.

Bahader, a father of four and grandfather of six, started playing soccer in the streets of Cairo at the age of six.

As an adult, he was a civil engineering consultant and a land cultivation expert.

Though he carried on playing as an amateur, he had given up his dream of becoming a professional until nearly seven decades after kicking his first ball when he revived his dream and began applying to join clubs.

Finally he was accepted into October 6.

To be recognised as the world's oldest professional player he now needs to play another match, which is due on March 21.

A representative of Guinness World Records is expected to attend the game to assess his claim.

The current record for the oldest professional player is Israeli Isaak Hayik, who played in goal last April for Israel's Ironi Or Yehuda, aged 73 years 95 days.

(Production: Ahmed Fahmy, Mohammed Zaki, Mai Shams El-Din)

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