Despite having had a handful of offers from foreign clubs, Egyptian star Mohammed Abu Treka has responded to the demands of fans and stayed with his Egyptian club, al-Ahly, eschewing the allure of the reputation afforded to Egyptian professionals abroad.
And although he has received numerous professional awards over the past years Abu Treka has maintained loyalty to his club, which, in the eyes of the Egyptian masses, has made him the star of the 21st century. Many African players, such as Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Ghana’s Michael Essien, Togo’s Emmanuel Adebayor and Mali’s Frederic Kanoute have become famous around the world by playing for European clubs. On the African continent Abu Treka enjoys this kind of stardom.
While some of Africa’s star players have made their careers in Europe, his magical skills as well as his humanitarian and charitable work have earned Abu Treka the title ”Prince of Hearts”.
He has made significant contributions to titles won by his club as well as his national team, as was the case in the thriller against Brazil on Monday. Al-Ahly has won the title in the African Champions League three times in the past four seasons and holds the record for appearances in the Club World Cup, with three appearances. The Egyptian national team has won the last two African Cup of Nations, with his help.
The Egyptian team won the tournament in 2006 in Egypt and in 2008 in Ghana. Abu Treka’s contribution was critical in both instances. In 2006 he scored the final game’s last and decisive penalty. In 2008 his one and only goal decided the final against Cameroon. Despite being voted second in the election of the African Footballer of the Year to Togo’s Adebayor, Abu Treka’s demeanour, in an interview with the German Press Agency DPA, was extremely humble.
Asked whether loyalty to his Egyptian fans deprived him of appearing on the world stage he said, ”no, never. My ambitions have been realised with Egypt. We won the African Nations Cup more than once, with al-Ahly we reached the World Club Cup three times, and we will strive to reach it again and achieve a better position than the third we had in 2006.” Abu Treka sees the Confederations Cup as a real opportunity. ”It is a major tournament that every player dreams of participating in,” he said.
Of Egypt’s chances in the tournament, Abu Treka said that everyone was keen to provide strong performances, but that the competition is extremely tough in view of the strength of the teams in the competition. ”The primary objective of the team is to gain new experience, regardless of the competition. Gaining such experience on the global stage will be a great asset to the team,” he said.
Asked what his reaction would be if he was offered a professional contract in Europe, the midfielder said he would consider the value of the offer, as well as the value of his own club and appreciation there. But, the ever modest Abu Treka still places his al-Ahly and Egyptian sides at the top of his ambitions. ”If the fans are happy and we achieve a good result for the team, then I am happy,” he said. — dpa