Abd-Rabou, Egypt's new prince
CAIRO (AFM) - Among such leading lights as Mohamed Aboutrika and Zidan, the name Hosni Abd-Rabou lacks the same kind of global resonance. But that is about to change as the 23-year-old midfielder bypassed the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba to be named best player in a victorious Egyptian campaign at Ghana 2008.

Now, as African Football Media found out, the Ismaily prodigy is hoping to use the successes of those African finals as a springboard to the next FIFA World Cup in South Africa in 2010. After debuting for the senior national team in 2004, Abd Rabou suffered a tremendous setback on the eve of the 2006 African Nations Cup on home soil. He was forced to pull out just days before the finals began with a hamstring injury.

"I was so downhearted," said Abd-Rabou, who was only 21 at the time. "I suffered from an overwhelming depression afterwards and it took some time for me to regain my form." The pain and anguish that accompanied missing out on that winning campaign doubled the player’s desire to perform this year, and the all-action defensive midfielder turned in some inspired displays to lead Egypt to a record sixth African title in January. He even earned public praise from the likes of ‘special one’ Jose Mourinho and French world beater Marcel Desailly.

Spirit over stars
Abd-Rabou, who scored four goals in Ghana to finish joint top scorer, was recognised as the tournament’s top player. "I was so motivated to give it my all this year to compensate for not playing in the previous edition that the disappointment of 2006 actually did me a huge favour," he confessed.

Lifting the trophy in Ghana wasn’t his first brush with glory either. At barely 17, he was the youngest player in the Egyptian top flight when Ismaily won their third domestic title in 2002. He then went on to lead Egypt’s youth team to the knockout stages of the 2003 U-20 World Cup in UAE, before making his senior debut a year later...

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