The public knows a great deal about football players but Ghada Abd El-Kader gives you an idea about their wives There are soccer moms and there are football wives, few like former Spice Girl Victoria Posh, but nevertheless important to their husbands and children. The wives of players belonging to Ahli, these days the top football team in Egypt and Africa, have particular problems in that their husbands spend more time on the field than at home. "I experience a serious problem because Emad is always away training or playing," Safaa, wife of Ahli defender Emad El-Nahhas, said. "My elder son Mohamed is fond of his father; he always asks about him. My brother stays with me at home when Emad is abroad to take care of the kids" -- Ranaa, four, Mohamed, six, and seven-month-old Abdel-Rahman. "When he is free, Emad spends all his time playing with the children or going out to the cinema and to amusement parks. "He prevents us from attending matches in the stadium. So, I always watch at home with Mohamed because I believe he brings good luck." Safaa spends her spare time reading football magazines and newspapers and following football TV programmes especially one hosted by former Ahli goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir. She is good friends with many football wives including Asmaa, wife of Ismaili goalkeeper Mohamed Fathi and Sherihan, wife of Ismaili striker Samir Sabri. Safaa said that even though their husbands play against each other it has no bearing on their friendship. "If Shadi has a long vacation we like to travel to Sharm El-Sheikh, but if it's just for a few days, we prefer Alexandria to visit our parents, families and relatives," says Sarah, married to Ahli defender Shadi Mohamed. At home, Sarah likes to watch matches on TV and follows the pre-and post-match analysis. Shadi, too, is a lover of sports programmes. When she's not tied down to one-year-old Fares, Sarah spends her time shopping or surfing the Internet. She lists as her friends the wives of players Islam El-Shater, Wa'el Gomaa and Amir Abdel-Hamid. Pussi has gone several times to the stadium but after a few unpleasant experiences, prefers watching at home. If her husband, Ahli right back El-Shater, has a long vacation they travel to Sharm El-Sheikh. If it is a short one they instead visit their parents in Alexandria. "Islam is always with us on the phone telling the children what to do. We don't feel his absence". Pussi likes buying antiques and changing her furniture. She's also into cooking, a field in which her husband has given her the title master chef. Her husband's favourite dishes are duck, mulukhiyah with rabbit and colcasia. Badr, three, and one-year-old Mazen complete the El-Shater household. Players from Zamalek, Ahli's local rivals, have wives who also rarely venture to the stadium. Zamalek defender Wa'el El-Qabbani. refuses to let Rasha go to football matches "because it's too crowded, and because sometimes they become rowdy, and also because of the foul language." She instead has decided to enjoy watching matches with her friends at home, which includes Safaa El-Nahhas and Zamalek defender Tarek El-Sayed's wife Sahar. El-Qabbani prefers spending their vacation abroad. At home, "If Wa'el has an important match, he doesn't speak about it at all." Like any soccer defender, El-Qabbani, who has Habiba five, and Mariam, four, must eat plenty to meet the rigors of life at the back and his hefty appetite consumes meat, rice, vegetables and soup. Wives of players from teams other than Egypt's two powerhouses appear to have the same set of problems and routine. Rasha Ezzat, wife of Ismaili midfielder Mohamed Hommos, says the stadium isn't suitable for women because of the crowds and possible hooliganism. At home, she says she can watch in more comfort and with a more critical eye. Before a match, Hommos recites verses from the Qur'an and as part of a ritual, calls his mother and mother-in-law. Spending their holidays with their families in Port Said is one form of entertainment for the Hommos family, which includes daughter Rama, three. Rasha's hobbies include reading poetry and watching political, sports and religious programmes. She must also tend to her hubby's taste buds which are attracted to duck, cannelloni and stuffed courgette with minced meat. For entertainment purposes, couple, Mona and Enppi goalkeeper Nader El-Sayed either travel abroad, to Belgium where Nader used to play, Germany or France. In Egypt, it's either stay at home or go to the club. "Before any important match Nader must train without going home so he calls us every day." El-Sayed has a propensity for large amounts of chocolate and pasta "which gives him energy for the match," Mona said. With three children, Mona probably needs all the patience in the world; Thus her hobby fishing is known for the amount of patience required. The fan issue crops up all the time. Ahli stars Wa'el Gomaa and Mohamed Abou Treika have begun to change their return route home to avoid people following them. Ahli midfielder Mohamed Barakat rarely leaves home because of the crowds. "Egyptians are crazy about football and we, as players, appreciate that a lot and are always very happy with them showing up in the stadium. But outside the stadium, it's very hard for us to socialise or maintain our privacy because the fans always surround us. And we can't be mean to them. That's why I would never go to the cinema even though I love watching movies. So I watch videos at home with the family. Relatives and close friends are invited instead of me going out," Barakat told Al-Ahram Weekly.
