Ahmed Al-Saghir

⚽ Ahmed Al-Saghir (Ahmed Yareeso)

Saudi Arabian Footballer 🇸🇦

One of the legendary players of Al-Ahli Saudi Club during the 1970s and 1980s.

He passed away on March 16, 2010, after suffering a heart attack while exercising.

 

👶 Early Life & Career Start

Ahmed came from a Hadhrami merchant family that moved to Somalia for trade.

 

He began his football career with:

 

🟡 Bank Club

 

🟠 Municipality of Mogadishu Club – One of the top African teams at the time.

 

🔁 Turning Point

In 1973, he played a friendly against Al-Ahli Saudi Club, scoring 2 goals and assisting 1.

 

Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal was impressed and wanted to sign him.

 

His Somali club refused to let him go, but his brother Mohammed Al-Shatari helped him travel secretly to Saudi Arabia and join Al-Ahli in 1974.

 

🟢 Career with Al-Ahli Saudi Club

First match: November 2, 1974, against Al-Ettifaq.

 

In official matches with Al-Ahli:

 

🎯 Scored 64 goals

 

🅰️ Made over 100 assists

 

🥇 Notable Goals

⚔️ vs. Al-Ittihad: 6 goals (including the winner to reach King’s Cup final in 1397 AH)

 

🔵 vs. Al-Hilal: 5 goals (2 in King’s Cup final 1397 AH)

 

🟡 vs. Al-Nassr: 5 goals

 

🟥 Winning goal in King’s Cup 1403 AH vs. Al-Ettifaq

 

⚽ Scored 6 goals in one match vs. Al-Khaleej (1395 AH league)

 

🏆 Honours with Al-Ahli

🏆 Title Season / Year

King’s Cup 1397 AH, 1398 AH, 1399 AH, 1403 AH

Premier League 1397/1398 AH, 1403/1404 AH

Al-Mosef Cup 1402 AH

GCC Champions Cup 1405 AH

 

🌟 Individual Achievements

📰 Best Saudi Midfielder by Al-Nadwa newspaper – 1398 AH

 

👟 Al-Ahli Golden Boot – 1398 AH

 

🌍 Selected in the All-Star Team – Gulf Cup 5 (1399 AH)

 

🏥 Injury & Retirement

In Asian Cup qualifiers, he suffered a serious injury against Iraq (broken kneecap).

 

Missed over 6 months for surgery and rehab.

 

Returned stronger but recurring pain forced retirement in 1407 AH.

 

🎉 Retirement Match

📅 Date: 3 Rabi Al-Thani 1407 AH

🆚 Al-Ahli vs. Servette (Switzerland)

🏟️ Featured Arab and Saudi stars:

 

🇪🇬 Ibrahim Youssef

 

🇶🇦 Mansour Muftah

 

🇹🇳 Tarak Dhiab

 

🇸🇩 Hamed Brema

 

🇸🇦 Saleh Khalifa, Saleh Al-Nuaimeh

🔢 Result: Al-Ahli 2 – 1 Servette

⚽ Ahmed scored in the 25th minute.

 

🎓 Coaching Career

Studied coaching in Britain and earned Class A license.

 

Attended coaching courses in several Arab and foreign countries.

 

Returned to Al-Ahli as:

 

Interim coach for the 1st team

 

Youth team coach (3 years)

 

U-17 coach (2 years)

 

🌟 Talent Discoveries

Discovered major talents:

 

🟢 Khaled Al-Qahwaji

 

🟢 Hussein Abdul-Ghani

 

⚠️ Due to salary delays (over 3 years), he left coaching and shifted to administrative and business roles.

 

🕊️ Death

📅 March 16, 2010

📍 Passed away from a heart attack during a walking workout.

💔 A great loss to Saudi football and Al-Ahli fans.