34 Facts About Shikabala

Shikabala played for the Egypt national football team, and was part of the squad that won the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.

Shikabala predominantly plays as a right-winger but can play as a central attacking midfielder and as a left winger.

Shikabala joined the youth academy of Zamalek SC when he was 8-years-old and made his first team appearance in a cup match early in 2002, scoring the winning goal at the age of 16.

Shikabala remained with the first team squad since then but had very limited playing time and no professional contract, which is why he was able to leave Zamalek and join PAOK FC in January 2005 for no transfer fee.

When Shikabala initially returned to Egypt from Greece in January 2007, it was amidst controversy as he signed for arch rivals Al Ahly.

Shikabala enjoyed a mixed season where Zamalek struggled in the league, and he faced a lengthy ban after Al Ahly fans chanted profanities against him in the 100th Cairo derby leading to him responding by lifting his shoes to them.

Shikabala finished the season on a brighter note though as Zamalek finished as cup winners which was the club's first trophy in 4 years.

Under the guidance of Hassan, Shikabala finally matured as a player and started to live up to his potential.

Zamalek would stay on the top until the closing stages of the season where they crumbled and Al Ahly ended up as the league winners for the 7th season in a row, despite that Shikabala finished the season as top scorer with 13 goals and had two magical assists against Al Ahly in the derby.

Shikabala has been a Zamalek fan favorite and the team's biggest star since returning to the team in 2007.

Shikabala has been famous for his skills against alahly the fans adore him and the entire team is built around him.

Shikabala had chosen the number 10, the number he previously had at Zamalek.

Shikabala scored from a free-kick in the second half and assisted for 2 other goals.

However, it wasn't long after that when Shikabala was involved in his first controversy with the club.

Shikabala continued as one of the teams stars as he picked up an assist in almost every match he played.

Shikabala was left out for a month with a thigh injury.

Shikabala travelled to Egypt to get his treatment back home but he failed to return to Dubai on time when he was supposed to.

Shikabala made his return debut on 24 July 2013 CAF Champions League match against Al Ahly in the 57th minute.

Shikabala would go on to play all 6 matches in the group stage of the Champions League scoring 2 goals and assisting 2 goals.

On 5 January 2014, Shikabala officially terminated his contract with Zamalek as the Zamalek board was unable to both pay his late wages and convince him to stay at the club.

On 29 January 2014, it was announced that Shikabala signed for the Portuguese club Sporting CP for 700,000 dollars and would travel the following day to Lisbon to complete a medical and officially sign with the club.

Shikabala decided to wear the number 7 jersey in Sporting.

Shikabala made his first appearance for the reserve team on 16 February 2014 against Tondela.

Shikabala started the match but was substituted 28 minutes into the game after picking up a minor ankle injury.

Shikabala made very few appearances for the team and was benched for a huge amount of the following season, only making a few appearances for the reserve team and one appearance in the first team.

In September 2014, Shikabala went to Egypt to play for his national team, since then he did not return to Sporting or to Portugal.

Shikabala's salary was frozen and his house and car were taken due to lack of payments.

Shikabala was immediately loaned to Egyptian league side Ismaily SC as there was no place for the player in Zamalek's closed squad.

On 30 June 2019, Shikabala returned to Zamalek after the end of his loan to Apollon Smyrni.

Shikabala made his international debut on 3 June 2007 in an Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Mauritania.

Shikabala was part of Egypt's squad in the 2010 African Cup of Nations, featuring in one match as Egypt ended up as winners for the seventh time and third in a row.

Shikabala decided to resign from international football in 2010, citing racist insults that he had endured from Al Ahly fans during the Cairo derby and saying that he did not want to confront such situations in international games.

Shikabala returned to the squad on 12 November 2017, where he scored his second official international goal against Ghana in Egypt's final World Cup qualifier.

In June 2018, Shikabala was named to Egypt for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.