Despite being 43, veteran keeper Essam El-Hadary appeared as strong as ever to play a key role in helping Egypt claim an opening 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Congo in Brazzaville on Sunday. Even though Zamalek keeper Ahmed El-Shennawi was expected to start between the sticks today, Egypt manager Hector Cuper had surprisingly put his faith in ex-Ahly keeper Hadary for the crucial away qualifier. And El-Hadary did not disappoint, producing an excellent display reminiscent of his old showings with the national side during their triumphant 2006, 2008 and 2010 Africa Cup of Nations campaigns. "I've never seen a player with El-Hadary's persistence and perseverance before," former Egypt striker Mido, who used to coach the guardian at Ismaily, told BeIN Sports while analyzing the game as a pundit. "During my days in Ismailia, I used to see El-Hadary wake up early and run around the pitch an hour even before the training session begins." Egypt goalkeeping coach Ahmed Nagi paid tribute to his keeper, underlining his defense-organizing skills along with his shot-stopping abilities. "He was excellent, he was so composed today. El-Hadary had today an important role organizing the team's defense" Nagi told BeIN Sports. El-Hadary, meanwhile, appeared humble after the game when asked about his personal feats, praising the management's and his team-mates' roles during and before the game. "Reaching the World Cup is our aim, the most important thing today was winning the match," El-Hadary said after the game. "We focused on winning the game; we were determined to win by all means. "The team's management are working so hard with the team, these people literally do not sleep. They keep lecturing and convening with us all the time. "The personal feats are not really important. What's important is the national team." Egypt, who last reached the World Cup in 1990, are vying with Ghana, Uganda and Congo for the sole Group E ticket to the 2018 Russia finals. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
