Egypt's international goalkeeper has announced his retirement. Ghada Abdel-Kader was there for the farewell announcement , a gifted goalkeeper who helped Egypt lift the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations, is leaving the game. The announcement was made at a press conference at the headquarters of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). The testimonial is scheduled for some time in December. The match will be between Egyptian and French players of the 1990s generation, including Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram, Georkiev, Oaltord, Thierry Henry and Emmanuel Petit. The conference was attended by EFA president Samir Zaher and EFA officials Ahmed Shaker and Salah Hosni and Misri club head Sayed Mutwali. Past and present stars Hazem Emam, Ahmed Hassan, Abdel-Satar Sabri, Mohamed Emara, Samir Kamona, Hadi Khashaba, Tamer Abdel-Hamid and Sami El-Sheshini were there, too, as were coaches Ahmed Suleiman, Ahmed Nagi, Hassan Mokhtar and Hazem Karam. Zaher awarded El-Sayed a medal from the EFA. "It is only a beginning for EFA to honour all the players who raised the name of Egypt up high on the national and internationals levels. EFA will always support and back their sons," Zaher said. Egypt midfielder and captain Ahmed Hassan added, "Nader is a wonderful human being. He has high morals which is more important than the football aspect." " is a distinguished player technically and morally," added former Ahli football star Khashaba. Also at the press conference was Rami Shaaban, the Swedish keeper of Egyptian origin who plays for Sweden Hammarby IF, a Swedish football club in the southernmost district of Stockholm. "I am very proud to attend and I am so happy for him. He is a professional, calm, unselfish and honest," Shaaban said. El-Sayed was between the posts for Zamalek from 1992 until moving to Belgium in 1998. He played for Egypt until 2005. He was the captain in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and participated in the 1991 World Youth Cup. He is the only Egyptian goalkeeper to be chosen twice best keeper in the Africa Cup of Nations, in Burkina Faso 1998, when Egypt won the tournament, and Ghana and Nigeria 2000. He was voted best Arab goalkeeper in 1992, best in the African Youth Nation Cup in 1991 and was selected top Egyptian goalkeeper in 1992 and 1998. Locally, he played for Zamalek, Goldi, Ittihad, Misri Enppi and Ahli, winning seven titles all together. Abroad he played for Brugge in Belgium (1998-2000) and Akratitos in Greece (2002- 2003). El-Sayed, 36, will continue working as a TV sportscaster and president of the Ahli company for media production.
