Farouk Gaafar

Farouk Fouad Gaafar was born in Cairo on 29 October 1952. His origin is from Aswan in Upper Egypt. His grandfather migrated to Cairo after the construction of the High Dam. He had 10 brothers and sisters. In 1963, in the streets of El-Munira neighborhood, Zamalek's scout Ibrahim Abdel-Rahman, saw Gaafar playing and enrolled him in the Zamalek U-14 youth team without his family’s knowledge after he obtained a preparatory certificate from Manial El-Rawda School. Afterwards, he joined the National Secondary School in Manial. Gaafar has a Bachelor’s degree in physical education.

Farouk Gaafar played in Zamalek's youth teams from 1963, he played for six years before being chosen for the first team, he trained under many notable coaches such as Hilal Qadri, Hamada El-Sharkawy, and Samir Qotb. He played in the Egypt national football team before playing for the first team, as the Egyptian League was stopped, and not resumed until 1971–72 season.

In 1969, when he was 17 years old, Zamalek played against El Sekka, and Zamalek was down by two goals, and Gaafar played in the second half, and Zamalek scored three goals with Gaafar scoring two goals. Afterwards, he joined the first team and played his first match against Factory 36, and Zamalek won four goals, and Farouk scored two goals in his first official match. In front of Ghazl El Mahalla, he played as a right-back instead of Yakan Hussein. Gaafar became known all over Egypt after the 1972 Cairo derby which Zamalek won Al Ahly by a score of 2–1, and the referee had awarded a penalty kick, from which Gaafar scored a goal, and Al Ahly's goalkeeper Marwan Kanafani asked Al Ahly fans to enter the pitch. The 1971–72 league's result was cancelled.

He played for the team for 16 years from 1971 to 1987, he was nicknamed the "King of midfield", he scored over 53 goals for Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League. Gaafar won with Zamalek two titles of the Egyptian Premier League (1977–78, 1983–84).^[7][8]

Gaafar won the October League Cup (held instead of the cancelled Egyptian Premier League) once in 1974. He also won three Egypt Cup titles (1974–75, 1976–77, 1978–79). Gaafar was lucky to play amongst more than a generation of Zamalek in his career. He was one of the best Egyptian players of his generation.

In 1979, Gaafar had a brief spell in New York Cosmos. After Zamalek's refusal of Gaafar signing to Al Ain FC in Emirates, Gaafar travelled to the United States and played for Cosmos, since rules were allowing him to play in the U.S. without his club's permission.^[9] However, after rules changed in 1980, he came back home and asked Zamalek for permission, but unfortunately, the club refused, and he left New York Cosmos without even signing a contract and returned to Zamalek.^[10][11]

At the continental level, Gaafar won with Zamalek the 1984 African Cup of Champions Clubs and 1986 African Cup of Champions Clubs. Gaafar scored 64 goals for Zamalek in all competitions.^[12] Gaafar retired as a player in 1987. A retirement festival had taken place in Cairo Stadium, with a friendly match between Egypt and Kuwait in 1988.^[13]

Gaafar played for the Egypt national football team for 11 years from 1970 to 1981, he played 62 international caps and scored 7 goals. He was a part of the team that won the 1972 Palestine Cup of Nations.^[14] Gaafar was also a part of the team that won the bronze medal in the 1973 African Games in Nigeria, and scored in the group stage against Upper Volta and in the semifinals against Nigeria. Gaafar was part of the team that finished third in the 1974 African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

He was part of the team that finished fourth in the 1976 African Cup of Nations in Ethiopia and fourth in the 1980 African Cup of Nations in Nigeria. He won the best playmaker award in 1974 African Cup of Nations and was included in the 1974 CAN dream team and he also won the best playmaker in the 1976 African Cup of Nations and was included in the 1976 CAN dream team. He was a part of the team that won the 1975 Palestine Cup of Nations. Gaafar came the 7th African footballer of the year by France Football in 1975, and 8th African footballer of the year by France Football in 1977.

As of match played 4 August 2016

Zamalek

• Egyptian Premier League: 1977–78, 1983–84
• Egypt Cup: 1974–75, 1976–77, 1978–79
• October League Cup: 1974
• Egyptian Friendship Cup: 1986
• African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1984, 1986

Egypt

• Palestine Cup of Nations: 1972, 1975
• African Games bronze medal: 1973
• African Cup of Nations third place: 1974

Individual

• Best Playmaker in 1974 African Cup of Nations
• Best Playmaker in 1976 African Cup of Nations
• 7th African footballer of the year by France Football: 1975
• 8th African footballer of the year by France Football: 1977

Zamalek

• Egyptian Premier League: 1991–92, 1992–93 (Assistant Manager)

• Football in Egypt
• List of Egyptians

• angelfire.com

• Farouk Gaafar – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Farouk Gaafar at National-Football-Teams.com
• angelfire.com