Barakat was famous for his runs from midfield and his box-to-box kind of play, and that made him important in defence and attack. He is called "The Mercurial" () by his fans. 2005 and 2006 were the best years of his career. He helped his club Al-Ahly to win the CAF Champions League 2005 and CAF Champions League 2006. He also won African Cup of Nations 2006 with Egypt. In 2006, he started to get injuries.