Midfielder Mohamed Abou Trika became the ninth Egyptian footballer to reach the 100-cap milestone when he lined up against Guinea Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier.
Although one of the greatest footballers produced by Africa, the 34-year has never played for a European club, preferring seven-time African champions Al-Ahly for most of his career.
An attacking midfielder in the twilight of a career that has brought many individual and team honors, Abou Trika still dreams of a first appearance at the World Cup tournament.
Egypt have already won Group G with five consecutive victories, giving them an unassailable five-point lead over Guinea ahead of the final mini-league fixture at Red Sea resort El-Gouna.
The Pharaohs are set to face Ivory Coast, Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria or Cape Verde in a two-leg play-off during October and November, and the winners qualify for Brazil.
Abou Trika has been voted CAF Africa-based Footballer of the Year three times and was a key figure when Egypt won the 2006 and 2008 Cup of Nations titles.
A man with strong views, he was yellow carded during the 2008 Africa Cup for lifting his shirt and displaying “Sympathies with Gaza” on his t-shirt.
He has also criticized Egyptian journalists for praising individual players, stressing that football is a team game.
“We need to stop this habit of praising a definite player. It is not Abou Trika who won the match, but the whole team.
“Without the efforts of my team-mates, I cannot make anything. Football is a game of many players, it is not tennis or squash.”
