Habiba Essam
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Habiba Essam Mohamed Hafez | ||
| Date of birth | 20 March 2007 | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Al Ahly | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2021 | Wadi Degla | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2024 | Wadi Degla | ||
| 2024– | Al Ahly | 14 | (11) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2023– | Egypt U20 | 6 | (3) |
| 2023– | Egypt | 3 | (2) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 December 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 February 2025 | |||
Habiba Essam Mohamed Hafez (Arabic: حبيبة عصام محمد حافظ; born 20 March 2007), commonly known as Habiba Essam 'Bibo' (Arabic: حبيبة عصام) is an Egyptian professional footballer playing as a midfielder for Egyptian Women's Premier League club Al Ahly and a forward for the Egyptian national football team.
Club career
Habiba started playing football at the age of five and was soon spotted by then-Wadi Degla coach Mohamed Kamal, who brought her into the club.[1] At just 16 years old, She competed in her first continental tournament, the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League, in Morocco with the Cairo-based club.[2]
On 25 September 2024, the newly formed women's team of Al Ahly announced the signing of Habiba on a three-year contract worth over 1 million Egyptian pounds.[3][4]
International career
The Egyptian talent represented the country's U-20 team in the 2024 African U-20 Women's World Cup qualification, playing every match as Egypt reached the fourth round and scoring three goals.[5]
Habiba was first called up to the Senior national team in November 2023, ahead of the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches against Senegal and was the youngest in the squad at 16 years old.[6] On 5 December 2023, She made her debut for the team as starter in a scoreless draw against the Lioness of Teranga.[7] On 21 February 2025, she scored her first international goal, securing the match-winning strike in an away game against Rwanda.[8]
Career statistics
- As of match played 25 February 2025
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 2023 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | |
| Total | 3 | 2 | |
- As of match played 25 February 2025
| No. | Date | Cap | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21 February 2025 | 2 | Kigali Pelé Stadium, Kigali, Rwanda | Rwanda | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2026 WAFCON qualification |
| 2 | 25 February 2025 | 3 | Suez Canal Stadium, Ismailia, Egypt | 2–1 | 2–2 |
References
- ^ "Habiba Essam… A Young Gem at Al Ahly". annahar.com (in Arabic). An-Nahar. 23 November 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "She topped the trends, scored a hat-trick, and was nicknamed "Messi" – Who is Habiba Essam, Al Ahly's player?". koraplus.com (in Arabic). 7 December 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ Shaaban, Hatem (26 September 2024). "Confirming "Kora Plus" report, Al Ahly signs Habiba Essam from Wadi Degla". koraplus.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "The Million-Pound Deal" – Who is Habiba Essam, the scorer of Al Ahly's dramatic winner against Wadi Degla?". masrawy.com (in Arabic). 12 October 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "Egypt women's national team leads Congo 3-0 in World Cup qualifiers". vetogate.com (in Arabic). 19 November 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
Habiba Essam scored Egypt's opening goal in the fifth minute of the match.
- ^ "A promising talent… Could Habiba Essam be Al Ahly's new Afsha". egypttelegraph.com (in Arabic). 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ El-Saadany, Hasan (5 December 2024). "Official lineup of the women's national team for the decisive match against Senegal". youm7.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ Shaban, Hatem (21 February 2025). "Habiba Essam scores Egypt's opening goal against Rwanda". koraplus.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 27 February 2025.
External links
- Habiba Essam at Soccerway
- Habiba Essam at Global Sports Archive