Young Egyptian striker Hamza Abdel Kareem has entered FC Barcelona's history after becoming the first Egyptian player to wear the first-team shirt in an official match, during the clash against Rayo Vallecano on Monday evening, as part of the third round of La Liga.
German head coach Hansi Flick brought on Hamza Abdel Kareem in the 86th minute as a substitute for Brazilian Raphinha, marking the Egyptian striker's first official appearance in the Catalan club's jersey, weeks after being promoted to the first team following his standout performance during the pre-season for the new campaign.
Hamza's appearance is a historic moment for Egyptian football, as no Egyptian player had previously featured in an official match for Barcelona, one of the world's biggest and most decorated clubs.
The young player's participation came on a night when Barcelona defeated Rayo Vallecano 5-2, after the Catalan side overturned an early goal deficit to secure a well-deserved victory.
Rayo had taken an early lead through Sergio Camello, before Raphinha equalized. Lamine Yamal then gave the home side the lead with a brilliant goal, and Barcelona added a third after Florian Lejeune scored an own goal. Camello pulled one back for the visitors, before Raphinha completed Barcelona's four-goal haul in the 71st minute, and Yamal scored a fifth in the dying moments.
Hamza Abdel Kareem's first official appearance comes months after his transfer from Al Ahly to Barcelona, where he quickly caught the eye within the Catalan club and managed to convince Hansi Flick to include him in the first-team squad, before the German manager gave him the chance to make history with his debut in La Liga.
You can discuss topics and news in greater depth on the "Kooora" forums.
