The oldest player at the on-going 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, Essam Kamal Tawfik El-Hadary, has said he is not about to retire from international football soon.
The Egyptian, 44, responded to a question during a presser on Tuesday, saying he was not thinking about retiring but was focused on the semi-final game between Egypt and Burkina Faso on Wednesday.
“My mind is [on] the semi-final because it is the big match. Nothing about retiring,” said El-Hadary, who did not seem amused.
The goalkeeper broke the record of the oldest player at an AFCON event on January 17th when he replaced injured first-choice shot-stopper Ahmed El-Shenawy in a Group D game against Mali. He has gone on to feature in the matches against Uganda, Ghana, and in the 1-0 quarterfinal win over Morocco.
El-Hadary is a four-time winner of the AFCON trophy and now has 151 caps for his country. He is also currently enjoying a second spell with Egyptian Premier League side Wadi Degla.
El-Hadary won his first African title in 1998 and was named the best goalkeeper in the tournament when Egypt won on home soil in 2006 and defended their crown successfully in both 2008 and 2010.
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
