Yehia Emam

Yehia Emam (يحيى إمام; 1 May 1919 – 1997), was an Egyptian footballer who played as a goalkeeper for Zamalek. He also played for the Egypt national football team. He is considered one of the best Egyptian goalkeepers of all time.

He represented his country in the 1948 Summer Olympics, 1951 Mediterranean Games, 1952 Summer Olympics and the 1953 Pan Arab Games. Emam played for his whole career in Zamalek and won 16 titles for his club.

Biography
Yehia El-Horria Mohamed Emam was born in Cairo on 1 May 1919. He was born during the 1919 Revolution and was named Yehia El-Horreya which means in Arabic: Long Live the Freedom. He joined the Egyptian Military Academy in 1936, and graduated as a military officer in the Egyptian Armed Forces.

Emam started his career in Zamalek in the youth team, he played throughout his career in Zamalek, he won with his team five Egypt Cup titles (1938, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1952). With Emam guarding Zamalek's goal, they won the Cairo League for ten seasons (1939–40, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53). Yehia Emam is considered a symbol for Zamalek fans and one of the best goalkeepers in the history of the club.

Emam was called to represent the Egypt national football team in 1940. He captained Egypt in the 1948 Summer Olympics in London and the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He played with his country in the Mediterranean Games and Egypt won the silver medal in the 1951 Mediterranean Games in Alexandria. He was the captain of the team that won the gold medal of the 1953 Arab Games. Emam retired in 1953.

He worked in the Egyptian Armed Forces for his entire career. He was married and he's the father of the Zamalek's legend Hamada Emam and grandfather of Zamalek's legend Hazem Emam. Emam died in Cairo at the age of 78 in 1997.

Honours

 * Zamalek SC
 * Egypt Cup / King Farouk Cup: (5)
 * 1937–38, 1940–41, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1951–52
 * Cairo League: (10)
 * 1939–40, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53


 * King Fouad Cup: (1)
 * 1940–41


 * Egypt


 * Mediterranean Games:
 * Silver: 1951
 * Arab Games:
 * 1953