Egypt's goalkeeper made the difference in the end, reports Inas Mazhar Goalkeeper Essam made two saves in the penalty shoot-out to give Egypt a record breaking fifth African Cup of Nations title with a win over the Ivory Coast 4-2. 's steady performance throughout the tournament -- he allowed only three goals in six games -- earned him the best goalkeeper award. "I'm really very glad to have helped my country win a record fifth title," said following the victory. "The whole team was determined to keep the cup in Egypt long before the tournament started. "For the past three weeks the target has been nothing less than winning. Everyone was concentrating on his goal and my role was to protect my net," told Al-Ahram Weekly at the team's hotel. More than 80,000 fans who attended the final in Cairo Stadium wanted to see Egypt lift the cup and see perform his famous dance on top of the goal bar. Though Egypt did not lose en route to the final, Hadari did not dance. "I was saving it for the final. The fans kept asking me to dance after every victory as they usually do but I didn't want to overreact. I was afraid. I wanted to make sure we won the title and when we did, nothing would stop me from dancing to the crowd." , who plays for Ahli of Egypt, said he was at his peak in the tournament because he had trained hard for the past two months. "It's not only me but the three goalkeepers on the team. We played under an intensive training programme developed by our coach Ahmed Suleiman. I believe any one of us could have done the same and led the team to victory." According to , the goalkeeper is as important as any other player on the field. "Many believe the goalkeeper's job is very easy but it's not. It's harder than the others. The result of a match could depend on the goalie. He is the only player who needs to be focused for the whole 90 minutes. He can be the hero of the game or the culprit. The players also concentrate the whole time but they're running. The goalkeeper is watching, therefore he must be alert . His eyes should follow the ball in all directions and be ready to receive and save any sudden ball. "Sometimes a goalkeeper will be watching a game just like a spectator if it's an easy match. Sometimes he won't receive the ball at all and never be tested and leaves the pitch the same way he entered. And sometimes there isn't enough time to even breathe when the other side is determined to score." says goalkeepers are always under pressure. "We are the first people to start warming up on the pitch, almost half an hour before the rest of the team. We warm up hard to gain the fans' support and confidence." "Sometimes I'm very frightened but then I forget all about it and try to be confident in myself and that's what I did during the tournament. Every match I felt frightened, but that helped me to lead my team to the title. For me it's a different kind of fear, the fear that gives you more confidence to perform well and defend your net as if it was your home." said he fears no forward. 'For me all players are the same. It's not only the strikers who score. I am trained to face all players and never underestimate any of them, even a defender because any one of them can score if he had the chance." The Ahli goalkeeper, who helped his team win the African Champions League late last week, told the Weekly why he turns his back when his team is awarded a penalty and his teammates get ready to shoot. "It goes back to when Ahli was playing a league match against Baladiyet Mehalla. We were awarded two penalty kicks and our players lost them both. I was watching both times. We went on to win the match in injury time, but since then I don't have the strength to watch any of my teammates shoot a penalty." has a major role to play other than guarding the net. "As the players watch videos of the opponent and each studies his man, I do the same with the opposing goalkeepers, then advise my teammates. I can tell them where to shoot when there is a penalty, to shoot to his left or right... take advantage of where he's standing if it's in the wrong place. It's a job all goalkeepers have. "Sometimes, I lie in bed before crucial games and imagine certain situations, and think how to deal with them. It then happens in the following match and I'm ready to deal with it."
