1. Early Life and Background
Ahmed Yasin's early life was marked by his family's movements and a strong footballing influence from his brothers.
1.1. Childhood and Family
Ahmed Yasin Ghani Mousa was born on April 22, 1991, in Baghdad, Iraq, specifically on the notable Falastin Street. He is the youngest of four brothers, all of whom were footballers. His elder brothers, Salar, Araz, and Zeid, all played for Örebro SK, where Ahmed himself began his youth football career. He started playing football at the age of five, learning much from his eldest brother, Salar, who was both a football player and a coach.
1.2. Move to Sweden and Early Education
When Ahmed Yasin was only one year old, he and his family moved from Baghdad to Sweden. His family had initially left Baghdad for Sweden in 1987, near the end of the Iran-Iraq War. A year after the war concluded, the Yasin family returned to their home on Palestine Street, believing their future was in Iraq. However, less than 18 months later, Iraq became embroiled in another conflict with the United States and its allies following the Invasion of Kuwait. Consequently, the Yasin family left Iraq permanently the following year. Ahmed started school in Örebro at the age of five. In 2010, after graduating from high school, his family moved back to Iraq, though Ahmed continued his football career in Sweden.
2. Club Career
Ahmed Yasin's professional football career spans several clubs and countries, beginning in Sweden and extending to Denmark, Qatar, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia.
2.1. BK Forward
Ahmed Yasin began his football career by joining BK Forward in 2007 at the age of sixteen. BK Forward is a Swedish club located in the city of Örebro that plays in the Swedish third tier. His eldest brother, Salar, was a coach for one of the youth teams at the club. Ahmed started in the youth teams and, after a year, made his debut with the first team. He fully broke into the first team in 2009, making a total of 42 appearances and scoring seven goals for the club. He also captained the club's futsal team to victory in the 2010 Mariedal Cup, where he netted two goals in the final. Following the 2009 season, he was close to signing with Halmstads BK and clubs from Portugal.
2.2. Örebro SK (First spell)
In 2010, at the age of 19, Ahmed Yasin signed a four-year contract with his hometown club, Örebro SK. He made his official debut for the first team on May 6, 2011, against Kalmar FF in the Allsvenskan, Sweden's top football league. In his first season, he played six games in the Allsvenskan and one in the Svenska Cupen. He also made his European debut on July 21 against FK Sarajevo, playing 10 minutes in a match his team lost 2-0.
Ahmed scored his first goal for Örebro in the 2011 Svenska Cupen, netting the equalizer in the 12th minute against Ljungskile SK. He also participated in more than 15 friendly matches, scoring over five unofficial goals. Despite making only four brief substitute appearances (a total of 54 minutes) in his first season, he made his breakthrough in his second season, playing more games in 2012. He set a target each year and consistently reached it by the end of the season. He broke into the starting eleven midway through the 2011-12 Allsvenskan season, starting eleven matches.
Although the club was relegated to the second tier of Swedish football, Superettan, this period proved beneficial for his development. Ahmed was a key factor in the team's promotion back to the top flight, appearing 29 times, scoring six goals, and assisting seven. He became a regular on the right wing under coach Per-Ola Ljung, who had given him his start at the club. In the 2014 season, he played 29 out of 30 Allsvenskan games for Örebro SK, scoring two goals and assisting five. By the 2015 season, he had started all 13 of Örebro's league games. With only six months left on his contract, Ahmed decided to move to Denmark.
2.3. AGF
In the summer of 2015, Ahmed Yasin joined Aarhus Gymnastikforening (AGF) in the Danish Superliga. However, he struggled to adapt quickly to the Danish league, scoring only once and providing two assists in 17 league appearances. He returned to Sweden mid-season, this time joining AIK.
2.4. AIK (First spell)
In the winter of 2016, Ahmed Yasin returned to the Swedish Allsvenskan with AIK. During this spell, he scored two goals and provided five assists in 23 league and cup games. The club finished in second place in the league that season.
2.4.1. Loan to Muaither SC
Following the conclusion of the Swedish league season, Ahmed Yasin joined Qatari club Muaither SC on a four-month loan. He expressed a desire to maintain his fitness and move to a warmer climate. Ahmed made his debut on January 4 against Lekhwiya SC. He scored his first and second goals for Muaither on February 10, helping the team come back from a 2-0 deficit to draw 2-2 against Al-Khor SC. Overall, Ahmed Yasin scored four goals and provided six assists in 13 QSL games for Muaither. Despite his contributions, Muaither finished second to last with 20 points and was relegated from the Qatar Stars League. On April 24, 2017, Yasin confirmed that his time in Qatar had ended five weeks before his contract expired, and he returned to AIK, where he had to wait until the registration window on July 15.
2.4.2. Loan to Häcken
On July 16, 2017, Ahmed Yasin joined Swedish club BK Häcken on loan from AIK. He made his debut the following day against Jönköpings Södra IF in the Swedish Allsvenskan. He was introduced in the second half and scored 12 minutes later. Yasin scored seven goals and provided four assists in 15 league games for Häcken, helping the club finish in fourth place in the league.
2.5. Return to AIK (Second spell)
In January 2018, Yasin returned to AIK after his successful loan spell at Häcken. In his first appearance back, he contributed to a team victory, scoring a goal against Syrianska FC in the Svenska Cupen.
2.6. Al Khor
On July 29, 2018, Yasin signed with Qatari club Al-Khor SC until the end of December 2018. He was brought in to replace the injured Madson. He made his debut on August 4 in the first round of the Qatar Stars League against Al-Arabi. He left the club in December 2018 after playing 14 games and scoring one goal.
2.7. Return to Häcken (Second spell)
On January 29, 2019, it was confirmed that Ahmed Yasin had re-joined BK Häcken on a one-year contract. During the 2019 Allsvenskan season, he made 27 appearances, scoring 2 goals and providing 4 assists. He continued with Häcken into the 2020 Allsvenskan season, making 28 appearances, scoring 3 goals, and providing 6 assists in the league, along with 4 appearances and 3 goals in the cup, and 2 appearances in European competitions.
2.8. Denizlispor
On January 19, 2021, it was announced that Yasin would be moving to Turkey to play for Denizlispor. He signed a contract until 2022, with an option for an additional year.
2.9. Return to Örebro SK (Second spell)
On August 20, 2021, Yasin returned to Örebro SK, his former club, while rehabilitating from an injury.
2.10. Al-Kholood
On December 31, 2022, Yasin joined Saudi First Division club Al-Kholood Club. In his second season at the club, Yasin made 34 appearances and scored eight goals, playing a crucial role in helping the club earn promotion to the Saudi Pro League for the first time in their history.
2.11. Second Return to Örebro SK (Third spell)
On July 15, 2024, Yasin made his third return to Örebro SK.
3. International Career
Ahmed Yasin has represented both the youth and senior national football teams for Iraq, following an initial call-up to the Swedish youth team.
3.1. Sweden U17
In 2008, Ahmed Yasin was selected to be part of the Swedish Under-17 national football team. However, he did not participate in any matches with the team.
3.2. Iraq Olympic Team
Ahmed Yasin made his debut for the Iraq Olympic football team on June 16, 2011, in a friendly match against Qatar. He played a very important role in the game, contributing to Iraq's 2-1 victory. Impressed by his performance, the coach officially called him up again for the team to play in the Olympic qualifiers, where he became the best player in the team. Despite his efforts, Iraq did not qualify for the 2012 Olympics due to an administrative punishment from FIFA.
3.3. Iraq National Team
Ahmed Yasin's career with the senior Iraq national football team began in 2011 and saw him participate in major international tournaments.
3.3.1. Senior Team Debut and Early Career
In June 2011, Ahmed Yasin, along with several other European-based players, was called up to train with the Iraq national football team by coach Wolfgang Sidka. They were selected from forty Iraqi players competing in European leagues. Upon his arrival in Iraq, he received significant attention and played several friendly matches against Iraqi clubs. During his stay, he also trained with the Baghdad-based club Al Talaba, who were so impressed by his play that they offered him a contract. However, he declined the offer as he already had a contract with Örebro SK and was not willing to leave the Allsvenskan.
In February 2012, after his strong performances with the Olympic side, Zico called him up for a game against Singapore, though he was unable to join the team due to insufficient time for preparations. Later, Zico named Ahmed Yasin in a 33-man squad for a training camp in Turkey, as part of Iraq's preparations for the final round of qualifiers for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He was subsequently dropped from the squad before matches against Jordan and Oman.
On June 24, 2012, Ahmed Yasin made his first international appearance for Iraq's senior team in a friendly game against Lebanon, which was part of the 2012 Arab Nations Cup hosted in Saudi Arabia. He came on as a substitute for Karrar Jassim in the 32nd minute. He made his first start for the team in Iraq's match against Sudan. On September 11, 2012, Ahmed Yasin made his first appearance in the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Japan, starting the match while wearing the number 9 shirt. He played well and created several goal-scoring opportunities, though the match ended in a 1-0 victory for Japan.
3.3.2. 2015 AFC Asian Cup
On December 29, 2014, Yasin was included in Iraq's squad for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. In the team's third group match, he scored Iraq's second goal as they defeated Palestine 2-0, securing their qualification for the knockout stage. In the quarter-final match against Iran, Yasin scored Iraq's first goal in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Canberra Stadium. Iraq eventually prevailed 7-6 in a penalty shootout.
3.3.3. Other International Competitions
Ahmed Yasin has also participated in other regional and continental tournaments. He was part of the Iraq squad that finished as runners-up in the 2012 WAFF Championship and the 2013 Gulf Cup of Nations. In March 2018, he scored some of the first goals for the national team after the international ban on Iraqi football was lifted.
4. Career Statistics
This section provides comprehensive statistical data of Ahmed Yasin's professional football career at both club and international levels.
4.1. Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Forward | 2008 | 17 | 1 | 3 | - | - | 17 | 1 | 3 | ||||
| 2009 | 20 | 4 | 5 | - | - | 20 | 4 | 5 | |||||
| 2010 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Total | 42 | 8 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 43 | 8 | 12 | |||
| Örebro | 2011 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| 2012 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 | - | 17 | 2 | 5 | |||
| 2013 | 29 | 6 | 7 | - | - | 29 | 6 | 7 | |||||
| 2014 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 1 | - | 36 | 2 | 6 | |||
| 2015 | 14 | 2 | 2 | - | - | 14 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 89 | 10 | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 102 | 13 | 21 | |
| AGF | 2015 | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | 19 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Total | 17 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | - | 19 | 1 | 2 | |||
| AIK | 2016 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 5 |
| Total | 18 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | 5 | |
| Muaither (loan) | 2017 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Total | 13 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 | 4 | 5 | |||
| Häcken (loan) | 2017 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 15 | 7 | 4 | ||
| Total | 15 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 15 | 7 | 4 | |||
| AIK | 2018 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 14 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | 1 | |
| Häcken | 2019 | 27 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 27 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Total | 27 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 27 | 2 | 4 | |||
| Al-Khor SC | 2018/19 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 14 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Häcken | 2020 | 28 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 6 |
| Total | 28 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 6 | 6 | |
| Denizlispor | 2020/21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 277 | 38 | 54 | 30 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 316 | 46 | 60 | |
4.2. International Statistics
| Iraq | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2012 | 14 | 1 |
| 2013 | 7 | 0 |
| 2014 | 8 | 0 |
| 2015 | 11 | 3 |
| 2016 | 5 | 0 |
| 2017 | 7 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 | 1 |
| 2019 | 5 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 62 | 6 |
4.2.1. International goals
Scores and results list Iraq's goal tally first.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | December 18, 2012 | Ali Sabah Al-Salem Stadium, Al Farwaniyah | Oman | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2012 WAFF Championship |
| 2. | January 20, 2015 | Canberra Stadium, Canberra | Palestine | 2-0 | 2-0 | 2015 AFC Asian Cup |
| 3. | January 23, 2015 | Iran | 1-1 | 3-3 - (won 7-6 on penalties) | ||
| 4. | September 3, 2015 | PAS Stadium, Teheran | Chinese Taipei | 3-0 | 5-1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5. | March 23, 2017 | Australia | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 6. | March 21, 2018 | Basra Sports City, Basra | Qatar | 1-1 | 2-3 | 2018 International Friendship Championship |
5. Honours
Ahmed Yasin has received numerous team and individual honours throughout his career, reflecting his significant impact at both club and international levels.
5.1. Club Honours
;BK Forward
- Mariedal Cup: 2010
;Örebro SK
- Superettan Runners-up: 2013
- Atlantic Cup Runners-up: 2014
- Svenska Cupen Runners-up: 2015
;AIK
- Allsvenskan Runners-up: 2016
5.2. International Honours
;Iraq
- Arab Nations Cup Bronze medalist: 2012
- WAFF Championship Runners-up: 2012
- Arabian Gulf Cup Runners-up: 2013
- AFC Asian Cup Fourth-place: 2015
5.3. Individual Honours
- Nominated by IFFHS for The World's Most Popular Footballer Amongst Currently Active Players in 2012.
- Selected as one of the top 5 popular players in Asia.
- Nominated for the "Best Arabic Player in 2011/2012 season" award by AlJazeera Sports Channel.
- Nominated for the "Best football player from in the Arab World" in 2012 season by Sky Polls.
- Chosen as the Best Iraqi professional player for the year 2012 by Kooora website.
- Nominated for the best Arab footballer by Al-Haddaf Algerian newspaper.
- Selected in Superettan's best 11 squad for the year 2013.
- Best goal award for Örebro SK in Superettan 2013 season.
- Allsvenskan Player of the Month Award: August 2017.
6. Personal Life
Ahmed Yasin's personal life reflects his Kurdish heritage, family ties, and diverse interests outside of football.
6.1. Background and Family
Ahmed Yasin is a Feyli Kurd born on April 22, 1991, in Baghdad, Iraq, on the famous Falastin Street. He was only one year old when he and his family moved to Sweden. His family had initially left Baghdad for Sweden in 1987, near the end of the Iran-Iraq War. A year after the war concluded, the Yasin family returned to their home on Palestine Street, believing their future lay in Iraq. However, less than 18 months later, Iraq was drawn into another conflict with the United States and its allies following Saddam Hussein's order for the Invasion of Kuwait. The following year, the Yasin family left Iraq for the final time. His elder brothers - Salar, Araz, and Zeid - also played for Örebro SK.
6.2. Hobbies and Languages
In his free time, Ahmed Yasin enjoys boxing and tennis. He sometimes takes boxing classes taught by professional boxers. Yasin is fluent in English, Swedish, and Arabic.