<p class="title">Monday will be Essam El-Hadary's last opportunity to enter the World Cup record books by becoming the oldest player to compete at the finals but there is a hiccup.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Egypt goalkeeper, usually the captain of his team, is by no means sure of getting an opportunity in their last game at the tournament against Saudi Arabia in Volgograd.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Both Arabic-speaking nations have been eliminated, making the Group A clash a dead rubber but whether coach Hector Cuper sees the opportunity for a sentimental gesture or not remains to be seen after leaving El-Hadary out of the previous two games.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cuper has given no hints in the build-up to the last match while El-Hadary has stewed on the bench during the defeats against Uruguay and Russia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">El-Hadary was reported to have challenged the coach about his omission but this has since been denied by the Egypt Football Association.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"El-Hadary supported and praised his team-mates. He may be angry for not participating but nothing out of line happened," said spokesman Sherif Ismail.</p>.<p class="bodytext">El-Hadary will be 45 years, five months and 12 days old on Monday and, if he plays, easily beat the record of Colombia’s Faryd Mondragn, who came on as a substitute for the last five minutes of a group game in Brazil four years ago, at the age of 43 years and three days old.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A run out on Monday would mark the end of a long international career for El-Hadary, who debuted for Egypt in 1996 against South Korea and who has won 156 caps since, the last in the 3-0 loss to Belgium in Brussels in Egypt’s final warm-up friendly at the start of the month.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has won four African Nations Cup titles and three African Champions Leagues but this is his first World Cup experience.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A fitness fanatic, El-Hadary was Egypt’s first choice for most of the qualifying and during the run to the final of the last Nations Cup tournament at the beginning of last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Since qualifying for Russia, I've had the drive to push myself even further," he said in an interview earlier this year.</p>
<p class="title">Monday will be Essam El-Hadary's last opportunity to enter the World Cup record books by becoming the oldest player to compete at the finals but there is a hiccup.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Egypt goalkeeper, usually the captain of his team, is by no means sure of getting an opportunity in their last game at the tournament against Saudi Arabia in Volgograd.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Both Arabic-speaking nations have been eliminated, making the Group A clash a dead rubber but whether coach Hector Cuper sees the opportunity for a sentimental gesture or not remains to be seen after leaving El-Hadary out of the previous two games.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Cuper has given no hints in the build-up to the last match while El-Hadary has stewed on the bench during the defeats against Uruguay and Russia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">El-Hadary was reported to have challenged the coach about his omission but this has since been denied by the Egypt Football Association.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"El-Hadary supported and praised his team-mates. He may be angry for not participating but nothing out of line happened," said spokesman Sherif Ismail.</p>.<p class="bodytext">El-Hadary will be 45 years, five months and 12 days old on Monday and, if he plays, easily beat the record of Colombia’s Faryd Mondragn, who came on as a substitute for the last five minutes of a group game in Brazil four years ago, at the age of 43 years and three days old.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A run out on Monday would mark the end of a long international career for El-Hadary, who debuted for Egypt in 1996 against South Korea and who has won 156 caps since, the last in the 3-0 loss to Belgium in Brussels in Egypt’s final warm-up friendly at the start of the month.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He has won four African Nations Cup titles and three African Champions Leagues but this is his first World Cup experience.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A fitness fanatic, El-Hadary was Egypt’s first choice for most of the qualifying and during the run to the final of the last Nations Cup tournament at the beginning of last year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Since qualifying for Russia, I've had the drive to push myself even further," he said in an interview earlier this year.</p>