Elshahat: I want to complete the collection of bronze, silver and gold
What Lionel Messi is to the international global finals, Hussein Elshahat is to the club ones – at least on one level. ‘The Atomic Flea’ played his 26th FIFA World Cup™ match in the Qatar final, outranking Lothar Matthaus to set a new record for appearances.
‘The Magician’, with exactly half that figure, sits top of the counterpart chart at the FIFA Club World Cup™.
FIFA spoke to Elshahat about the semi-final against Fluminense, Al Ahly’s hopes of winning Saudi Arabia 2023, reaching the final with Al Ain in 2018, his favourite goal in the competition and the coaching of Marcel Koller.
FIFA: Ahly were very impressive against Ittihad. What was the secret to your success?
Hussein Elshahat: We went into the match with respect for Al Ittihad’s capabilities, acknowledging them as a great club playing in front of their fans. They, too, showed respect for us, and that mutual respect was the key to success. The coach Koller repeatedly emphasized to us, ‘You must respect them, they have great players, but you are also great players’. This mindset created the difference. Also, our experience in this tournament – it’s our fourth participation in recent years – played a significant role in securing the victory.
Al Ahly has participated in more Club World Cups than any team except Auckland City, but have never reached the final. Did you come to Saudi Arabia intent on changing that?
Without doubt, every player has a strong desire to reach the final. We aim to achieve something honourable before the Club World Cup format changes. Reaching the final would be huge for us, and we hope that God helps us pull off this achievement.
You helped Al Ain reach the final against all odds in 2018. How did that feel?
Reaching the final with Al Ain gave me indescribable joy. Facing Real Madrid was a massive achievement, and the fans made the atmosphere fantastic. I hope to reach the final with Al Ahly in this edition, and to complete the collection of three medals: bronze, silver and gold.
There’s a noticeable improvement in your goalscoring this season. Has Marcel Koller given you a different role?
Yes, in recent times, we focused more on offensive tasks, emphasizing taking advantage of goalscoring opportunities and being more efficient in front of the goal. This approach has helped me increase my goal tally, and it has been ongoing since last season. It’s a special thing for me and I hope it continues.
Speaking of coach Koller, you’ve won five out of the seven competitions since he took charge. What has he added to achieve such success in a short period, and do you think you’ve turned the shock loss to Algeria’s Al Ittihad in the African Super Cup into a positive?
Coach Koller has contributed significantly to Al Ahly’s success, lifting the team's focus and achieving remarkable results. Winning five titles with him is a tremendous accomplishment, and it motivated us to strive for these victories. The loss in the African Super Cup was indeed saddening, but it gave us a strong push to deliver positive performances in the following weeks. We hope it marks the beginning of a comeback in the Club World Cup 2023.
Have you watched Fluminense and do you believe Ahly can overcome them?
I watched the (Copa Libertadores) final, so I know their capabilities. They have many prominent stars and they’re a strong team. We’ve prepared for the match, and I hope we can implement coach Koller's instructions and overcome them to reach our first final in Club World Cup.
Fluminense have stars such as Marcelo, Andre, Jhon Arias and German Cano. Have you done work on stopping a specific player?
No. Al Ahly cannot focus on a specific player, not in this match or any other. Football is a team game, and concentrating on one player may lead to ignoring another who happens to have a good day. Al Ahly always focusses on having the whole team perform at its best, and I hope we are all in perfect condition to secure the victory.
You’ve faced many esteemed teams at Club World Cup, including Bayern Munich and Real Madrid twice. What was your most challenging game?
We are talking about teams like Real Madrid and Bayern Munich – big clubs, UEFA Champions League winners. I remember when I played against Real Madrid with Al Ain, it was our first match against them, and I admit there was some fear. Perhaps initially we played well, but in the end, the game slipped away from us because Real Madrid are a great team. However, I would say that the most challenging match was against Bayern Munich (Ahly lost 2-0 in the Qatar 2020 semi-finals). They were a different kind of team, playing beautiful football. They liked ball possession and attacking. The start of that encounter was extremely tough, but as time passed, things improved a bit.
You’ve scored four goals in the Club World Cup, including one against Esperance. Do you have a favourite?
All the goals are dear to my heart, and if you notice, the four goals are somewhat similar. My goal against Esperance in 2018 was similar to the recent goal against Al Ittihad, also my goal against Al Duhail was similar to my goal against Auckland City in Morocco. So I would say that all the goals are dear to my heart because they resemble each other. Moreover, each goal in Club World Cup holds its own significance, creating beautiful memories that linger in the minds of fans. I am happy with all those goals.
CREDIT: FIFA.com