While Egypt has forever been known for its 7000-year-old civilisation, and its startling world wonder, the Great Pyramid of Giza, it’s now gaining attraction for its stellar contribution to the UK’s primary football competition, the English Premier League (AKA EPL). Garnering attention from all over the world, Egyptian footballers have been making waves, from Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah to Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny, and Stoke City’s youngest scorer in the EPL, Ramadan Sobhi. Now, another pharaoh is making headlines – Sarah Essam, an 18-year-old footballer from Cairo, became Stoke City Ladies Club’s first-ever Egyptian to join the team, making her the first Egyptian to also compete in the FA Women’s Premier League.
“From the first day I stepped foot on a football field, I had dreams and aspirations to reach the highest level of football and play in Europe,” recalls Essam. Her first venture into professional football was when the then 15-year-old signed with Cairo’s Wadi Degla Club as a striker. Being at the same sporting club that hosts some of Egypt’s top squash champions prepped Essam well to join the national team’s under-17 league.
“I remember my first-ever match was against a team called Toukh and I scored a hat-trick,” she continues. “When I finished the camp for the World Cup Qualifications for the U17 team, I was taken to the first team to participate in the African Women Cup of Nations Qualifications.”
The young athlete’s hard work and perseverance paid off, quickly pushing her into first national team. Since then, Essam has made over 20 international appearances.
But the footballer started to want more, stating: “The level of professional football in Egypt is not the best and I knew that if I wanted to reach my dream to play in the top level, I had to play outside of Egypt.”
CHALLENGES
While the striker always felt that she had “an exceptional talent from a young age and has always been the best on the team”, her parents had some concerns.
“My parents were not really interested in me playing football because they didn't feel that I could reach my goals in Egypt. They were worried about the environment surrounding me and feared that it would affect my studies.”
Last summer, in 2017, Essam travelled to the UK to study engineering, but football never left her mind.
“It wasn't easy to leave my country, family and friends behind, but I was mentally prepared for the sacrifice and I knew what I was getting myself into,” she says. “I had to learn to adjust to reach my goals. I didn't want all the sacrifices that I've made and all the hard work I put in, to go to waste.”
Connecting with various clubs in the UK, Essam went through numerous trials, receiving offers from Derby County Club and Sunderland Juniors, before settling on Stoke City. The footballer felt that Stoke would be the best way to begin a professional career in football, abroad.
“I was at our home field when my manager gave me the news. I've always believed that I can reach my dream and I won't stop here. For me, Stoke City is just the beginning.”
She continues: “I take the train from my house in Birmingham to university, then from university to Stoke City Club in Staffordshire and then back home. I hardly see my friends because I want to focus on my training.”
And she’s already making her mark at the club. Early February 2018, Essam was announced as the winner of the Potters’ Goal of the Month award for January for her goal against Pelsall Villa.
“This goal was important to me, but I try not think about things like that. All I can do now is dream and work hard on myself so I can improve and continue to succeed in every step I take.”