The 44-year-old kept out Burkina Faso's last two spot-kicks to win the shootout for Egypt in Wednesday's semi-final.
"I had a feeling that I was going to save the final two penalties," he said.
"When we went to the shootout, our 2006 title win crossed my mind," he added, recalling his penalty shootout save from Didier Drogba to beat Ivory Coast.
El Hadary is playing at his seventh Nations Cup and has won four titles.
At this tournament he became the oldest player at a major continental championship, and on Wednesday he made his 150th appearance for the Pharaohs.
It is remarkable to think he arrived in Gabon as one of Egypt's back-up goalkeepers to first-choice Ahmed El Shenawy, but injuries meant he was brought in 25 minutes into Egypt's first game.
Since then he has been formidable, conceding only one goal from normal play - in Wednesday's semi-final when Burkina Faso equalised in the second half.
And now a place in Sunday's final in Libreville, where Egypt face either Cameroon or Ghana, offers him a chance to become the first player to win five Nations Cup titles.
His first title came as a reserve in 1988, just two years after his debut, but he was at the peak of his career as Egypt won three back-to-back Nations Cup titles between 2006 and 2010.
"I'm happy to be in contention for all of these records but the most important is for Egypt to win the cup," El Hadary said.
"If we win the title, then the record will pass to me and I will be grateful. But I've never worried about my personal records. The country comes first, then the record book."
It would also be a record-extending eighth title For Egypt, who are already the most successful country in the history of the Nations Cup side - and an incredible return to glory after they failed to qualify for the last three tournaments.

The blaze at Wythenshawe Hall on Tuesday ripped through the roof and upper floor of the Tudor building and was tackled by 50 firefighters.
A campaign to save the timber-framed hall built in 1540 has now been launched by local Labour MP Mike Kane.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) say they "believe" the fire was arson, but are "investigating all possibilities".
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue search dogs were taken into the building on Wednesday to try and identify how and where the fire started.
Insp Luke Breakspear, of GMP, said: "We have reason to believe the fire was arson. We are doing all we can to get to the bottom of what happened.
"We are still appealing for anyone with any information to come forward."
The running of the building, which is owned by Manchester City Council, was recently taken over by the Friends of Wythenshawe Hall.
Members of the group applauded firefighters after they tackled the blaze.
The group's vice chairman Paul Selby said: "I got the call in the morning to say the hall was on fire. It was one of the worst calls I've had.
"Just below the roof is the Withdrawing Room - one of the most spectacular rooms in the building. It was all set up with period costumes."
Mr Kane, MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East, has vowed to save the hall which was home to the Tatton family for hundreds of years.
He told BBC Radio Manchester: "We are already setting up meetings with the council, the friends group and councillors to form a plan as to how we can secure the necessary funding to restore the hall.
"I have brought the issue to the attention of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
"The community in Wythenshawe will be right behind the campaign."
Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary foresaw that he would save the penalties that took his side through to the Africa Cup of Nations final.
[NEXT_CONCEPT]
The fire that partially destroyed a 16th Century hall in Manchester was arson, police have said.