Bio
Esam Abd El Fatah
Born: 1965-12-30
Intl. since: 2001-01-01
Hometown: Cairo
Country: Egypt
Speaks: Arabic, English
Occupation: Fighter pilot
Hobbies: Reading, tennis, football

At 35, Egyptian Esam Abd El Fatah started relatively late as an international referee, but he was quick to get to the top. El Fatah retired because of his age at the end of 2010.

World Cup

Since 2003 the Egyptian has officiated in the 2004, 2006 and 2010 African Cup of Nations. There were lots of qualifiers and under 20's. But the most important must have been the 2004 Olympic tournament, the final of the AFC Champions League and the mother of all tournaments: the World Cup. He refereed one match in the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

World Cup

As usual there was much talk about the competence of 3rd world referees, some argue that non-European referees only take part in large tournaments like the World Cup because the FIFA wants to keep the illusion that really the whole world can come to play.

As if European referees can not be bribed, there were often rumours about the bribability of 3 world refs. Something for which El Fatah seems to be immune (see the did you know section).

Did you know
LATE

  • According to "Super Magazine", a weekly soccer magazine based in the United Arab Emirates, El Fatah, an Egyptian Air Force pilot, turned down a 50.000 dollar bribe in 2005.
    An Angolan businessman offered him the money to ensure that his country beat Nigeria in a World Cup qualifying match.
    According to the magazine El Fatah tipped off the FIFA and was replaced by another referee.
  • Not only a pilot, Abd El Fatah is also a Lieutenant Major in the Egyptian Army Air Force.
  • CAN 2010

Statistics
Statistics for ESAM ABD EL FATAH
Totals Home Away Total
Penalties 4 4 8
Fouls 0 0 0
Yellow 69 82 151
YellowRed 0 0 0
Red 2 6 8
Averages Home Away Total
Penalties 0.11 0.11 0.11
Fouls 0 0 0
Yellow 1.92 2.28 2.1
YellowRed 0 0 0
Red 0.06 0.17 0.11

Based on 36 international matches

Matches
MATCHES FOR ESAM ABD EL FATAH
Date Score Yellow Red Penalties Fouls
African Nations Cup 2010
1/4 finalsZambiaNigeria2010-01-250 - 0 6 (4-2)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageAngolaMali2010-01-104 - 4 6 (2-4)0 (0-0)2 (2-0)0 (0-0)
WC 2010 qualifiers - Africa
3rd stageBurkina FasoMalawi2009-11-141 - 0 2 (0-2)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
3rd stageGhanaSudan2009-09-062 - 0 4 (2-2)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
3rd stageMaliBenin2009-06-213 - 1 5 (3-2)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
3rd stageGuineaCote d'Ivoire2009-06-071 - 2 1 (1-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
TogoCameroon2009-03-281 - 0 6 (3-3)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UgandaBenin2008-10-122 - 1 3 (2-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd stageLesothoGabon2008-09-070 - 3 3 (2-1)2 (1-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd stageSudanMali2008-06-143 - 2 4 (2-2)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
CAF Champions League 2009
finalHeartland F.CTP Mazembe2009-11-012 - 1 2 (1-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
1/2 finalsHeartland F.CKano Pillars F.C2009-10-044 - 0 6 (1-5)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageKano Pillars F.CZesco Utd FC2009-09-133 - 2 2 (1-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
CAF Confederation Cup 2009
2nd stageJS BejaiaStade Malien2009-04-171 - 0 4 (1-3)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
friendly
TunisiaNetherlands2009-02-111 - 1 6 (5-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
UAEBrazil2005-11-120 - 8 4 (1-3)1 (1-0)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)
CAF Champions League 2008
group stageEnyimbaTP Mazembe2008-08-172 - 0 7 (3-4)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd roundClub AfricainEnyimba2008-05-092 - 1 4 (2-2)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 2006
group stageAustraliaJapan2006-06-123 - 1 7 (4-3)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
African Nations Cup 2006
group stageZambiaSouth Africa2006-01-301 - 0 2 (2-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageNigeriaGhana2006-01-231 - 0 4 (1-3)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
WC 2006 qualifiers - Africa
2nd stageTunisiaMorocco2005-10-082 - 2 8 (4-4)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd stageZambiaSenegal2005-09-030 - 1 3 (1-2)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd stageNigeriaAngola2005-06-181 - 1 4 (1-3)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd stageGhanaBurkina Faso2005-06-052 - 1 6 (2-4)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd stageAlgeriaRwanda2005-03-271 - 0 6 (2-4)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
2nd stageKenyaGuinea2004-11-172 - 1 2 (1-1)0 (0-0)1 (0-1)0 (0-0)
1st stageEthiopiaMalawi2003-10-121 - 3 4 (2-2)0 (0-0)1 (1-0)0 (0-0)
WC 2005 u20
round of 16USA u20Italy u202005-06-211 - 3 5 (1-4)0 (0-0)1 (1-0)0 (0-0)
group stageChina u20Panama u202005-06-174 - 1 5 (1-4)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageCanada u20Colombia u202005-06-150 - 2 3 (2-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
Olympic Games 2004
group stageArgentina OTAustralia OT2004-08-171 - 0 7 (3-4)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageParaguay OTJapan OT2004-08-124 - 3 4 (2-2)0 (0-0)2 (0-2)0 (0-0)
African Nations Cup 2004
1/4 finalsMaliGuinea2004-02-072 - 1 2 (1-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageNigeriaBenin2004-02-042 - 1 1 (1-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)
group stageSenegalKenya2004-01-303 - 0 3 (2-1)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)0 (0-0)