Ahmed Shobair Discusses Son Mustafa’s Challenges and Rivalry with Mohamed El Shenawy

Ahmed Shobair, the former goalkeeper for Al Ahly and the Egyptian national team, spoke candidly about his son, Mustafa Shobair, who currently plays for Al Ahly. He addressed the criticism his son faces and its connection to teammate Mohamed El Shenawy.

Mustafa Shobair is preparing to represent Egypt in the 2026 World Cup, where he will compete with El Shenawy for the starting goalkeeper position. Egypt finds itself in Group G alongside Belgium, New Zealand, and Iran.

In a recent television interview, Ahmed Shobair shared an anecdote about a colleague who struggled with reading on-air. He recounted: “There was a presenter who got a bit caught up in her role. She was my colleague at the time, and during a live broadcast, she made mistakes while reading from a script.”.

He continued, “Some people sent me a video of her errors. The next day, I met her at a wedding. She approached me to say hello, and I welcomed her warmly. I told her it was nice to see her, and we left it at that.”.

Shobair noted that while such incidents are trivial, discussions involving prominent figures like Amr Adib naturally lead to banter between them. He mentioned having sent Adib a message via WhatsApp that received a reply.

Mustafa Shobair Faces Intense Scrutiny

The former keeper elaborated on the intense scrutiny his son faces: “Mustafa has worked hard to prove himself, but he pays the price for being Ahmed Shobair’s son. There was a period when he played ten outstanding matches and received praise from everyone. However, as soon as he makes a mistake, he faces immediate and fierce criticism.”.

He emphasized his desire for a positive relationship between Mustafa and Mohamed El Shenawy but acknowledged that El Shenawy sometimes perceives any criticism aimed at him as stemming from Shobair’s influence. “I always communicate with him honestly; I don’t hide my feelings or speak differently in his presence compared to when he’s absent,” he said.

Mustafa Created Challenges Due to His Talent

Acknowledging the unique challenges posed by his son’s talent, Ahmed Shobair remarked: “Mustafa has created challenges for me because of his talent and character. We have an agreement that I won’t discuss him publicly regarding his performances on the pitch. When I mentioned that I’d speak up if he made mistakes, he replied that I could do so but should criticize him just like anyone else.”.

He added: “The relationship among goalkeepers is often tense due to competition but tends to improve after retirement when we reflect on our past rivalries over participation.”.

Shobair expressed admiration for legendary goalkeeper Ezzat Ikrami: “Ikrami is dear to me; our relationship was good even though he would often downplay my skills as a goalkeeper. Despite having played over 100 more matches than him for Al Ahly, I always told him how much I appreciated him.”.

Izzam El Hadary Is A World-Class Keeper

Concluding his remarks on competition among goalkeepers, Shobair stated: “Izzam El Hadary is an exceptional global talent; however, he never directly competed with me because my main rival was Thabet Abu Zaid. Both Ikrami and Thabet will forever be remembered in the history of goalkeeping in Egypt. Ultimately, though, El Hadary stands out as the best goalkeeper in Egypt’s history.”.