75-year-old Ezz El Din Bahader has joined Egyptian third division side 6th October Club to become the oldest professional footballer in the world.
Bahader said he will continue to play “as long as I have the ability.”
“I found payers all over the world at this age and entering the Guinness Record and I can compete with them. So what is the problem with that?”
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The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) registered Bahader during the current winter registration period after he signed for 6 October Club. But details of Bahader’s contract with the club was not released by the club and the EFA.
“Today, the Egyptian Football Association has registered the oldest professional player in the world during the current winter transfer period. He is 74-year-old Ezz El-Din Bahader, who signed for 6 October in the third division,” the EFA wrote in a Facebook post.
“He is preparing to enter the Guinness World Encyclopaedia of records as he begins his participation with his club.”
EFA executive director Walid Al-Attar received the player and club officials during the completion of the player registration in the third tier league.
6th of October head coach Ahmed Abdel Ghani said Bahader’s decision to sign for the club was borne “out of patriotism” and to break the existing record for the oldest professional footballer.
Ghani acknowledged that playing or practising hard will be difficult for his oldest player.
Bahader must play in two full games with his team to break the record currently held by Isaak Hayik, who emerged the oldest professional footballer at 73 in 2019.
Hayik played for Israeli fourth-tier side Ironi Or Yehuda in April 2019 at the age of 73. The Egypt Football Association (EFA) is eager to put Bahader’s name in the record books.
Egypt already boasts of setting age-related records in football. Essam El-Hadary became the oldest player in Africa Cup of Nations history when he featured in Egypt’s Group D opener against Mali at 2017 AFCON. He broke the record held by his compatriot Hossam Hassan who was 39 years, five months and 24 days old when he played at the 2006 Cup of Nations.
El-Hadary is also the oldest footballer at a FIFA World Cup at the age of 45.
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