Maha Shehata

Maha Al-Demerdash Al-Demerdash Shehata (Arabic: مها الدمردش الدمرداش شحاته; born 13 February 1989) is an Egyptian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Romanian club Piros Security and the Egypt women's national team. [1]

Maha Al-Demerdash
Al-Demerdash with Trabzon İdmanocağı in 2017
Personal information
Full name Maha Al-Demerdash Al-Demerdash Shehata
Date of birth (1989-02-13) 13 February 1989
Place of birth Gharbia Governorate, Egypt
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Piros Security
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
Wadi Degla SC
2017–2018 Trabzon İdmanocağı 16 (0)
Piros Security
International career
Egypt
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 April 2018

Her nickname is "The Beast."[2]

Early life

Al-Demerdash was born on 13 February 1989 in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt.[1][3] She began playing football with the boys in the street and has loved football since childhood, despite rejection from her family and her community.[4]

She began her career as a right-back, playing in that position for five years, before becoming a goalkeeper.[5]

Club career
Maha Al-Demerdash (green) of Trabzon İdmanocağı (navy/maron) saving a shot in their away match against Beşiktaş J.K. (black/white) in the 2017–18 Turkish Women's First League.

Al-Demerdash joined Al-Mansoura at 17. She won Best Goalkeeper in the Egyptian Women's Premier League in 2010, and was similarly named the best goalkeeper in the Egyptian Women's Cup. The team was frozen in 2011.[4][5]

She then moved to the Cairo-based team Wadi Degla SC. She was influenced by the men's team's captain and goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary. Al-Demerdash won six league championships and five Egyptian Women's Cups with the team.[2] She won the award for Best Goalkeeper twice more with Wadi Degla.[4]

In November 2017, she moved to Turkey to join Trabzon İdmanocağı, who play in the Turkish Women's First Football League.[1][3][6] There, she played with fellow Egypt international Engy Attia.

Al-Demerdash returned to the Egyptian League and joined Al-Amerya during the 2021-22 season, but faced struggles with registration.[2]

She then moved to the team Piros Security in Liga I in Romania. She became the first Egyptian player to wear the captain's armband in a European stadium.[2]

International career

Al-Demerdash appeared for the Egypt women's national football team at the 2016 Women's Africa Cup of Nations held in Cameroon.[3][7][8]

She was called up for training and friendlies in preparation for qualifiers for the 2024 Women's African Cup of Nations.[9][10] The goalkeeping coach, Mohamed Arafat, expressed his satisfaction with El-Demerdash's level of play.[11]

Al-Demerdash is one of the captains of the Egypt women's national team.[10]

She has said one of her biggest dreams is to lead Egypt in the World Cup as a player or a coach.[4]

Personal life

Al-Demerdash's sister Karima died in early 2023.[10]

Her family became more accepting of football because of her achievements, including winning titles with Wadi Degla and playing on the national team.[4]

Her goalkeeping heroes are Manuel Neuer and Mohamed El Shenawy.[5]

References
  1. "Player Details: Maha Eldemrdash Eldemrdash Shehata". Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  2. عبد العال, أحمد (5 June 2023). ""المصرية" مها الدمرداش أول لاعبة مصرية ترتدي شارة القيادة في الملاعب الأوروبية.. صور". Kora Plus (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  3. "Confédéearion Africaine de Football 10th Edition Women's Afcon-Cameroon 2016 – 19.11.2016–03.12.2016 Media Start list" (PDF). CAF. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  4. "«بنات مصر».. قصة 4 لاعبات كرة محترفات في دوريات العالم". Dostor (in Arabic). 25 August 2019. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  5. الاسلمي, طارق (7 November 2020). "كابتن منتخب مصر للسيدات مها الدمرداش لموقع "الرياضي نت" تألقت مع الفراعنة ووصلت إلى رومانيا". Al-Riadi (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
  6. Kurbay, Bahar (10 November 2017). "Mısırlı Kızlar; 'Biz Geldik'". Kuzey Ekspres (in Turkish). Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  7. "Banyana Banyana hit Egypt for five to reach semis". CAF. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  8. "Caf never loved us — Mlauzi". NewsDay Zimbabwe. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  9. "23 لاعبة في انطلاق معسكر المنتخب الأول للكرة النسائية استعدادا لتصفيات أمم أفريقيا". Elaosboa. 5 January 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  10. شعبان, حاتم (21 February 2023). "منتخب الكرة النسائية يقدم العزاء لـ مها الدمرداش في وفاة كريمة شقيقتها". Kora Plus. Archived from the original on 2 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  11. "مدرب حراس منتخب الكرة النسائية: لدينا قاعدة مبشرة.. ومها الدمرداش تميزت أمام الأردن". Ahram. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
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