File photo of Pyramids playmaker Abdallah El-Said (Ahram)
Egypt's evergreen playmaker Abdallah El-Said became the ninth player to reach the 100-goal mark in the Egyptian Premier League when he scored for Pyramids FC in a 1-1 draw with Ittihad on Thursday.
Although it initially looked as if the referee would adjudge it to be an own goal after Ittihad keeper pushed a cross from El-Said into his own net early on, he eventually awarded it to the 34-year-old.
El-Said, who remains a valuable asset to Pyramids despite his age, joins a list of famed Egyptian footballers who reached that milestone.
Late Tersana and Egypt frontman Hassan El-Shazly top the list with 173 goals, followed by Hossam Hassan (168), El-Sayed El-Dhizui (127), Mostafa Riyad (122), Mahmoud El-Khatib (109), Ahmed El-Kas (107), Mohamed Abou-Treika (106) and Gamal Abdel-Hamid (101).
"I'm proud to have scored this number of goals. I hope to continue scoring and help my team to more wins," El-Said said when he netted his 99th goal in a 1-0 victory over Wadi Degla last month.
The soft-spoken schemer is known for his ability to dictate play in midfield and release forwards with deft through passes. He also has an extraordinary eye for goal, which proved handy for the teams he played for.
El-Said is the last classic playmaker standing in the Egyptian league, which is currently devoid of exciting talents.
He remains a key member of Egypt's national team, where he forges an effective partnership with Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
"El-Said boasts rare qualities. It's not common to find a playmaker who is great in scoring as much as in providing assists," Pyramids coach Abdel-Aziz Abdel-Shafi recently said.
El-Said made his name with coastal side Ismaily before making a high-profile move to Cairo giants Ahly in 2011, where he won a host of titles including two Champions League trophies and four domestic league crowns.
He left in an acrimonious manner though after Ahly put him up for sale in the summer of 2018 as a disciplinary measure after learning that he had signed for their cross-town rivals Zamalek.
After a brief spell with Jeddah-based club Ahli, El-Said joined Pyramids in the summer of 2019.
On the international level, he has scored six goals and dished out 10 assists since making his Egypt debut in 2008.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: