Ahmed Mekkawi

Originally from Zagazig, Ahmed Mekkawi moved to Cairo with his family in 1940 and tried out for Zamalek SC, one of the best known clubs in Egyptian football. He was turned down for his small size but soon caught the attention of scouts from Al-Ahly SC, another major Egyptian club known for its rivalry with Zamalek. The club recognized his talent immediately and he was quickly signed, paving the way for him to become one of Egypt’s biggest football stars of the 1940s. He eventually became captain of Al-Ahly, Egypt’s military team, and the national squad and attended the Summer Olympics in 1948 and 1952, but was eliminated in Round One of each tournament.

Mekkawi spent his entire career with Al-Ahly and won the Egyptian Premier League six times (1949-1951, 1953-1954, 1956) and the Egypt Cup four times (1949, 1950, 1951, 1956). He was also the league’s top scorer, with 13 goals, during the 1952-1953 season. He retired in 1956 after a motorcycle accident and worked for several newspapers thereafter as a sports commentator, remaining a well-known figure in his country until his death in 1996.