World Football: Hossam Hassan - Greatest African Player Ever?

As we all know, there has been continuos and sometimes ridiculous debates about who the greatest player ever.

Africa has produced its fair share of world class footballers in the past. The likes of George Weah, Nwankwo Kanu, Jay Jay Okocha, Roger Milla, Hossam Hassan, Abedi Pele, etc.

Then there are the current crop of African players on their way to superstardom, some are already there—Samuel Eto'o, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Freddy Kanoute, Stephen Appiah, and El Hadji Diouf.

While I realize that these players have not yet reached the level of the afore mentioned, they are world class players in their own right.

Now comes the question: Who is the greatest african player ever?

People might argue that the distinction might fall to one of three men: Roger Milla, George Weah and Jay-Jay Okocha.

George Weah is up there for obvious reasons, as he is the only African player ever to win the World Player of the Year Award (1995).

Roger Milla shone on the world stage and carried Cameroon to dizzying heights, but never got to the pinnacle of club football. I still can't forget how he single-handedly defeated Colombia at the 1990 World Cup.

It was that Cameroon squad that served as a model for success for future African teams.

Jay Jay Okocha always dazzled us with his amazing trickery. However, sadly he never got to win the African player of the year award. He is regarded one of the best players to never have won it.

However, if you ask me, its none other than Egypt's Hossam Hassan.

With 170 caps for Egypt, Hossam Hassan is definitely Africa's greatest player. He's certainly the greatest African, of his generation. He briefly left Africa to play for clubs such as Greece's PAOK Thessaloniki FC and Switezerland's Neuchatel Xamx FC.

Retired at the age of 40, Hassan has amassed an impressive array of titles, including three African Nations Cups (1986, 1998, and 2006), while being the only player to do so.

In addition, Hassan has an African Champions League title and 11 Egyptian league championships under his belt. Again, he is the only player to do so.

He became the world's most capped player in 2001 when overtaking Lothar Matthaus's mark of 150, but has since seen Claudio Suarez and Mohamed Al-Deayea overtake him.

Hassan retired with 180 caps.

He participated in 7 different African Nation Cups, ( '86, '88, '92, '98, '00, '02 and '08), which accounts for an all-time Egyptian record.

He certainly boasts amazing credentials. His last club as a player was El-Masry, one of the mid-table clubs in the Egyptian league.

He is currently coaching El-Masry along with his twin Ibrahim Hassan (who himself amassed over 100 caps).

He is one of two players only to have scored for Egyptian super-power Al-Ahly against Zamalek and for Zamalek against Al-Ahly.

He is the world's fifth and highest Egyptian all-time record holder for international goals, standing at 80.

For a man who started his career back in 1983, it's amazing that he still went strong until 2008, when he finally retired.

That's a 25-year-long career.

So everyone, please take a moment to salute this great Egyptian player: Hossam Hassan.