Zaki Osman (footballer, born 1932)

Zaki Osman (Arabic: زكي عثمان; 14 April 1932 – 14 November 2014) was an Egyptian football manager and former football player who played for Zamalek., He also played for the Egypt national team, he was a part of the team that won the 1953 Arab Games. As a manager, he was nicknamed (Coach's Sheikh) (Arabic: شيخ المدربين).[2][3]

Zaki Osman
Osman with Zamalek in the 1950s
Personal information
Date of birth 14 April 1932
Date of death (2014-11-14)14 November 2014 (aged 82)[1]
Place of death Cairo, Egypt
Youth career
1946 Al-Sekka Al-Hadid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1949–1951 Al-Sekka Al-Hadid
1951–1952 Al Ahly
1952–1960 Zamalek
International career
Egypt
Managerial career
?–? Menya Al-Qamh
?–? Al-Miah
1967–1969 Zamalek U-18
1970 Yemen
1971 Al-Nassr
1971–1972 Zamalek U-18
1972–1973 Zamalek (UAE) / Al-Wasl
1974 Egypt U-21
1975–1976 Zamalek (Asst. manager)
1976–1978 Zamalek
1983–1984 Al-Jabalain
1988–1989 Zamalek
1990–1991 Al-Khaleej
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Egypt (as player)
Arab Games
Gold medal – first place 1953
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Zaki Osman has left a clear mark in the Zamalek's history as a player and coach. He will be known as the “Sheikh of Coaches” and as one of the most outstanding Egyptian players in the 1950s.[4]

Early life

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Zaki Osman was born on 14 April 1932 in Cairo. He began playing football as a young boy in the streets and neighborhoods of Cairo, he then moved at the age of 14 to El Sekka El Hadid SC.

Playing career

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He played for El Sekka El Hadid's first team in 1949. After two years with El Sekka, he moved to Al Ahly in 1951, he achieved with his new club the Egyptian Premier League title and the Egypt Cup title in 1951–52 season. However, after only this season, he left Al Ahly.

In 1952, he moved to Zamalek, his old team's main competitor, as he was originally a Zamalek fan coming from a family that were also fans of Zamalek.[5] After moving to Zamalek, the administration of Al Ahly announced that he was forced to move to Zamalek, however, Osman's father submitted a report to the Public Prosecutor to prove that his son moved to Zamalek of his own free will. Othman has built his history as a player with Zamalek, he won with the club the Cairo League title in (1952–53), Egypt Cup in (1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960) and the Egyptian Premier League title in (1959–60). He preferred to retire in 1960 at an early age, 28, to begin his coaching career.[6][7]

Osman played for the Egypt national football team, he was a part of the team that won the gold medal in the 1953 Arab Games in Alexandria.

Coaching career

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Osman began his coaching career by leading El-Minya El-Qamh team, then the water company, and then the Zamalek U-18 team. He moved to Yemen and led the Yemen national football team. He then returned to leading the U-21 Egypt national football team.

 
Zamalek's manager Zaki Osman (middle) with Hassan Shehata and Farouk Gaafar in 1976

In 1974, he worked in Zamalek as an assistant manager to Burkhard Pape, and Zamalek won the Egypt Cup in 1975. In 1976, Osman became tha manager of the Zamalek's first team. The team in this era included Egyptian football stars such as; Hassan Shehata, Ali Khalil, Farouk Gaafar, Taha Basry, Mahmoud El-Khawaga, Mohamed Tawfiq, Mohamed Salah, and others. As a manager, his most prominent achievement is winning the 1977 Egypt Cup, and the 1977–78 Egyptian Premier League titles. He then worked in the Gulf area before retiring from coaching permanently in 1991.[8][9]

Honours

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Player

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Al Ahly

Zamalek

Egypt

Head coach

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Zamalek

References

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  1. ^ "موقع جمهورية اونلاين :وفاة زكى عثمان -شيخ المدربين- بعد صراع مع المرض". www.gomhuriaonline.com.
  2. ^ "رحيل شيخ المدربين.. لعب للأهلي والزمالك ودرب العمالقة".
  3. ^ "1st Pan Arab Games, 1953 (Alexandria, Egypt)". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ^ ياسمين يحيي (15 April 2021). "معلومة رياضية .. والد زكى عثمان يتقدم ببلاغ للنائب العام بعد انتقاله للزمالك".
  5. ^ ياسمين يحيى (15 April 2021). "معلومة رياضية .. والد زكى عثمان يتقدم ببلاغ للنائب العام بعد انتقاله للزمالك".
  6. ^ وليد علام (19 January 2021). "زكي عثمان.. صانع نجوم الزمالك و«قاهر» الأهلي دوري وكأس".
  7. ^ "الكرة المصرية تودع شيخ المدربين.. "زكي عثمان" يفارق الحياة بعد صراع مع المرض.. حقق بطولات مع "الزمالك".. اعتزل مبكرا وبدأ في التدريب.. وأول مدرب مصري يفوز بالدوري السعودي". فيتو (in Arabic). 14 November 2014. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  8. ^ بليغ أبو عايد (14 November 2014). "زكي عثمان.. ورحل شيخ المدربين في مصر".
  9. ^ نجم من زمن فات "زكي عثمان " ناظر مدرسة التدريب في الزمالك #زملكاوي. Retrieved 9 May 2024 – via www.youtube.com.
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