Factbox on Egyptian football highlights from the past 10 years selected by FilGoal.com. Player of the decade: A fringe player until 2004, Mohamed Abou-Treika earned cult status during the remaining years of the decade with some inspiring and match-winning displays with the club and country alike. Joining Cairo giants Ahli, the most successful club in Egypt's history, in January 2004 from minnows Tersana gave him the chance to rise to prominence and prove his worth. He played a key role in helping the Red Devils win five successive league titles, two Egyptian Cups, three Champions League triumphs and a host of other minor titles. Abou-Treika also inspired Ahli to a third-place finish in the 2006 Club World Cup in Japan where he controversially missed out on the best player award, which was eventually given to then Barcelona playmaker Ronaldinho. The 31-year-old's best moment with Ahli came in November 2006, one month before the Club World Cup, when his last-gasp volley earned the team the Champions League title at the expense of Tunisian side Sfaxien. On the international level, Abou-Treika, nicknamed the magician and likened to French legend Zinedine Zidane, scored the decisive spot kick which handed Egypt the 2006 African Cup of Nations title after a penalty shootout win over Ivory Coast in Cairo. Two years later, he notched Egypt's sole goal in a 1-0 final win over Cameroon as the Pharaohs retained their title in Ghana. Defining moment: Manuel Jose's appointment as Ahli coach for a second spell late in 2003 marked a dramatic change in fortune for a team who were outshone by arch-rivals Zamalek in the early 2000s. The Portuguese tactician, who was sacked in 2002 despite guiding the team to the Champions League title one year earlier, won with Ahli about 90% of the competitions they played in during his tenure. His trophy-laden era included five league triumphs, four Champions League titles and an infamous 6-1 victory over Zamalek.
Jose: best coach in Ahli history Jose left Ahli to take over at Angola in the summer of 2009 with many regarding him as the best manager in the history of Egyptian football. The 63-year-old still speaks fondly of Ahli in his interviews and many of the Red Devils' faithful say they will be ardent fans of any team he manages. Match of the decade: The breathtaking games in the past 10 years are not few but a pulsating Ahli-Ismaili league clash in 2002 stood out. The bitter rivals, who were neck and neck in the title contest, met at Cairo Stadium in front of a sell-out crowd. Visitors Ismaili threw away their advantage on three occasions to give Ahli the chance to lead 4-3 with few minutes remaining before the final whistle. However, a dramatic finale saw then Ahli defender Shadi Mohamed, now at Ittihad, dive to block a goal-bound shot using his arm as the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Ateya Saber converted the ensuing penalty to secure a share of spoils as Ismaili went on to claim their third league title in history. Disappointment of the decade: Getting no votes in the race to host the 2010 World Cup sparked an outcry in a country that believed it was capable of impressing the whole world. FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced on May 14 2004 that South Africa would become the first African country to stage the football's most prestigious event. Egypt not only missed out on hosting the tournament but also failed to convince any member of FIFA's consecutive committee to vote for them in the race which also included Morocco. Local press, which branded the unfortunate outcome 'World Cup zero scandal', launched a vicious attack on the Egyptian FA officials for their useless promotional campaigns that was aimed to encourage Egyptians to support their country rather than contacting the FIFA members.
