Quick Facts
Biography
Hosny Abd Rabo Abdel Mottaleb Ibrahim (Arabic: حسني عبد ربه عبد المطلب إبراهيم; born 1 November 1984 in Ismaïlia) is an Egyptian footballer, who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Ismaily SC. Hosny is also an integral member of the Egypt national football team and was a member of the 2008 African Nations Cup winning team, as well as being chosen as Player of the Tournament.
Club career
Ismaily
Hosny started his professional football career at Ismaily in Egypt, and was the youngest player in the Egyptian first division when Ismaily won the League Championship in the season 2001–02. In 2003, Hosni joined the Egyptian U-20's in the FIFA World Youth Championship 2003 in the Arab Emirates. In this tournament he caught the eyes of big clubs in Europe such as Juventus, Trabzonspor, Arsenal, and also smaller sides such as Nantes, and Strasbourg, but his club Ismaily refused to sell the player, since he was considered an integral part of the team.
At the end of 2003, he played in the Arabian Club Championship final but lost, achieving the same result in the 2003 African Champions League. In 2004 Hosny was selected for the first time in his career to play for the Egyptian national team in the 2004 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia and was one of the youngest players in the tournament.
He re-joined Ismaily in January 2011.
RC Strasbourg
In summer 2005, Hosny signed a five-year contract with French club RC Strasbourg, for whom he appeared in 22 Ligue 1 matches. He was called up for the Egyptian national team that would participate in the 2006 African Cup of Nations in Egypt, but was injured just one week before the tournament started and could not play. The Egyptian national team eventually went on to win the tournament against Côte d'Ivoire.
Return to Ismaily
In the 2005–06 season, Strasbourg was relegated to Ligue 2. Hosny then left the team on a season loan deal, returning to his original club Ismaily.
Due to his impressive performance with the Egyptian national team in the 2008 African Cup of Nations tournament, with the player chosen as Player of the Tournament.
After the loan spell ended, and since Strasbourg failed to promote to Ligue 1, Hosny agreed to extend his stay at Ismaily on a permanent deal. However, this move did not receive consent from the French club, and they decided to sue the player for signing a contract with another club without their consent.
Ahli Dubai
On 29 July 2008, and in an unexpected move, it was announced that Hosny had signed a loan deal for two seasons for Emirate club Al-Ahli of Dubai, despite the player having been linked with offers from top European clubs in England and Spain. Ismaily club later announced that the only official offer they received, other than Ahli Dubai's offer, was from Spanish club Osasuna.
It was considered a surprise to the player's fans and to Egyptian fans in general that the player would move to an Emirate club rather than a top European club, especially after Hosny's good performances in the Africa Cup of Nations Ghana 2008 for which he won Player of the Tournament award.
Immediately after the player's move was made public, officials in Egyptian Premier League club Al-Ahly announced that they intend to sue Hosny for moving to Ahli Dubai, despite having earlier signed a contract for them.
Al Nassr FC
On 2 Jul 2012, Hosny signed a one-year loan deal with Saudi club Al Nassr FC.
International career
Hosny made his debut for the Egyptian national team against Sudan on 6 June 2004. He was called for the Egyptian national team for the 2006 African Cup of Nations held in Egypt, but was injured one week before the tournament started and was consequently excluded from the tournament squad. As a member of the National Team, he won The 11th Pan Arabic Games held in Egypt in 2007. He was the key player in the Egyptian team that won the 2008 African Cup of Nations, and scored 4 goals, made 2 assists, excelled in defense, midfield and in attack, and was named Player of the Tournament.
2008 African Cup of Nations
Hosny scored 2 goals in the first match against Cameroon, one from penalty. Although the referee repeated it he also scored from it, And in each time the keeper went in the other direction of the ball. The second goal was 36 m away from the Goal line. In the second match against Sudan Hosny entered the 18-area passed the keeper but was tackled so gained a Penalty kick where he scored, although the referee repeated it, Also Hosny scored a goal. Hosny also assisted the third goal for Abo Trieka.
His performance with national team encouraged French football magazine L'Equipe to publish a report about him saying that he led his team defensively and offensively and was like a Maestro in Midfield with his accurate passes and hard shots and great effort.
There was a great competition, Egyptians Amr Zaki, Mohamed Abotreika, and Essam El Hadary, Ghanaian Sulley Montari of Portsmouth with the Egyptian Hosny Abd Rabou of El-Ismaily but Cameronian Great former player Roger Milla who is best African player in last 50 years and Nigerian Coach Berty Fogets and Ben Kofe and Zambian Star Kalocha Boalya and Sudanian Shata who is the Chief of Technical committee in CAF with all Technical Board preferred him.
Kalocha Boalya stated that Hosny contributions in scoring goals, making assists and holding the team together as he could defend and attack and exist inside penalty area so can hit the post with a very good header in the final although he is a defending midfielder nominated him to win the award.
Shata stated that Hosny fulfilled all the conditions present in the complete player, he is goal scorer, shooter, Play maker, and has good manner and leading character.
The overall performance of Hosny made him the first nominate for winning the golden ball of the tournament as he scored 4 Goals, made two assists, winning Man of the Match twice, excelled in defending and attacking and controlling the rhythm of the play, as a leader for his team qualified him to pick up The Player of the Tournament award ahead of Ivorian Didier Drogba of Chelsea FC and Ghanaian Michael Essien of Chelsea FC and Cameronian Samuel Eto of Barcelona FC and Ivorian Kieta and Malian Diara of Real Madrid.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2 September 2006 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo |  Burundi | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2. | 22 January 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi |  Cameroon | 1–0 | 4–2 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 3. | 22 January 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi | Cameroon | 4–1 | 4–2 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 4. | 26 January 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi |  Sudan | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 5. | 4 February 2008 | Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi |  Angola | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 6. | 6 June 2008 | Stade du Ville, Djibouti |  Djibouti | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2010 World Cup qualifier |
| 7. | 19 November 2009 | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo |  Benin | 1–0 | 5–1 | Friendly |
| 8. | 5 July 2009 | Military Academy Stadium, Cairo |  Rwanda | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2010 World Cup qualifier |
| 8. | 10 October 2009 | Konkola Stadium, Chililabombwe |  Zambia | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 World Cup qualifier |
| 9. | 28 January 2010 | Complexo da Sr. da Graça, Benguela |  Algeria | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations |
| 10. | 26 March 2013 | Borg El Arab Stadium, Alexandria |  Zimbabwe | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Club
- Egyptian Premier League: 2001–02
- CAF Champions League Runner-up: 2003
- Arab Cup Runner-up: 2004
- UAE Super Cup: 2008
- UAE Football League: 2008–09
- FIFA Club World Cup (7th Place): 2009
International
- African Youth Championship: Burkina Faso 2003
- Participated in World Youth championship (8th place): 2003
- 11th Pan Arab Games: 2007
- Africa Cup of Nations: Ghana 2008
- Africa Cup of Nations: Angola 2010
Individual
- Nicknamed " The Caesar " (Arabic:القيصر) in Ismaily.
- Ismailyonline Poll Chosen his goal against Al-Ahly on 01/09/2003 in The Egyptian Premier League, Best Ismailian Goal in 80 years.
- He scored the 1500th Ismaily's Goal in the Egyptian Premier League match vs Petrojet on 26 August 2006.
- Dream Channel's Midfield player of the year in Egypt 2006.
- Best Player in Egypt 2007.
- Best Arabic player 2007/2008 Dar El wasat poll.
- Modern sport Channel's player of the year in Egypt 2007.
- Nile sport channel's 2007/2008 player in Egypt.
- Al Ahram sport Best Midfield player of the year in Egypt2007.
- Player of the tournament in the ACN 2008 in Ghana.
- Came joint second in the top scorers charts in the ACN 2008 tournament.
- Chosen in the starting XI team of the tournament in the ACN 2008 tournament.
- Best player in CAF: 2008
- Featured on the front-page of FIFA.com on 9 June: Abd rabou egypt's hope fifa.com