FORMER Ahly footballer Tarek Selim, a star in his own right but who did not reach the heights of fame of his more illustrious brother, died on Saturday at the age of 79 following a long battle with illness, the club announced. Selim, born in 1937, began his football career as a defender in Ahly's youth ranks in the early 1950s and quickly established himself as one of the Reds key players. He played for the senior Ahly team, the only club he ever played for, from 1954 to 1967, helping the club win seven Egyptian Premier League titles and three Egypt Cup crowns. He represented Egypt's national team starting in 1956 at the age of 19, guiding the Pharaohs to the 1959 Africa Cup of Nations. After his playing days, Selim worked as a pilot and was director of football operations in Ahly on several occasions. “Ahly mourn club icon Tarek Selim. May he rest in peace,” Ahly said in a statement via its official website. Selim was widely respected among Egyptian football fans but never reached the fame of his younger brother Saleh Selim, the legendary Ahly striker who became president of the club and was also an accomplished actor. Tarek Selim's nephew Hisham Selim is also a well-known actor.