Former Morocco defender Abdeslam Ouaddou wants his fellow countrymen to give Egypt's goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary a guard of honour ahead of their quarter final game on Sunday after becoming the oldest player to play in the African Cup of Nations.
Hadary, 44, has led Egypt to the quarter finals this year for the first time since 2010, keeping a clean sheet in all three games in which he played.
“I ask our captain Mehdi Benatia and his colleagues to reward the Egyptian keeper Essam El-Hadary with a guard of honour. He is an icon of African football and has won a host of titles,” Ouaddou, who reached the final with the Atlas Lions in 2004, wrote on his official Facebook page.
El-Hadary came in as a substitute in Egypt's opening game against Mali to replace injured keeper Ahmed El-Shennawi, breaking the age record set by Egypt's Hossam Hassan, who played in 2006 at the age of 39.
The Wadi Degla keeper has become an iconic figure in Egypt and Africa and was awarded the best keeper award during Egypt's unprecedented treble in 2006, 2008 and 2010.
A four time African champion in 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010, El-Hadary's dreams are far from over, as he wants to play in next year's World Cup 2018.
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