On this day in 2010, Abdel Hamid Bassiouni, the former star of Zamalek, organized his farewell match, bringing together Zamalek and Haras El-Hodood at the Railway Club stadium in Nasr City.
The match concluded with Zamalek’s victory by a solitary goal scored by the late Alaa Ali.
Abdel Hamid Bassiouni also participated in the match as a member of the Haras El-Hodood team.
Born on December 15, 1972, in Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Abdel Hamid Bassiouni initially played for Kafr El-Sheikh’s second-division team, showcasing significant talent as a striker.
However, it wasn’t until the summer of 1997 when Zamalek noticed him, recruiting him as the top scorer of the second division at that time.
In his debut season with Zamalek, Bassiouni surprised everyone by securing a regular starting position.
He clinched the league’s top scorer title with 15 goals in the 1997/1998 season.
Remaining a crucial figure in the White Castle, Bassiouni achieved success, winning four different championships with the team.
These included the Egyptian League in 2000/2001, the Cup Championship in 1998, the Afro-Asian Championship in 1998, and the African Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999/2000, where he scored five crucial goals, including one in the final against Cameroon’s Canon Yaoundé.
Despite his contributions, Bassiouni found himself sidelined after the arrival of Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s leading striker, which led him to transfer to Ismaily.
There, he played a vital role in securing the league championship, outshining rivals Ahly and Zamalek in the 2001/2002 season.
Bassiouni, alongside Ismaily, scored 21 goals in just two domestic league seasons and one African goal against South Africa’s Kaiser Chiefs.
However, he didn’t receive the deserved recognition from Ismaily’s administration, leading to his departure without logical reasons, similar to what happened with Zamalek.
Hany Tolan, the head coach of the newly promoted Haras El-Hodood team in 2003, chose Bassiouni to join the squad.
Playing for six seasons with Haras El-Hodood, he netted 30 goals.
FIFA recognized Bassiouni in 1999, breaking the record by scoring a hat-trick in one minute against Namibia in the World Cup 2002 qualifiers.
In his illustrious career, Bassiouni secured four Military World Cup championships, two African championships, and won the top scorer title in the Military World Cup in 2001.
He scored 71 goals in the Egyptian Premier League and 13 in African competitions.
After retiring, he successfully transitioned into coaching, recently leading the Tala’ea El-Gaish team to their first-ever title by winning the local Super Cup against Al Ahly.
