Ayman Hussein Ghadhban Al-Mafraje, nicknamed Abu Tubar, is an Iraqi professional footballer who plays as a striker for Qatar Stars League side Al-Wakrah, on loan from Al-Khor, and the Iraqi national team.
49 Facts About Aymen Hussein
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In 2009, Aymen Hussein was spotted as a gifted teenager with his local team and it was because of a local resident who was a board member at the Al-Alam SC who recommended the player to his club.
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Aymen Hussein played for youth Al-Alam in the provincial league, and for the first team and then moved to Tuz FC, and with no club from Kirkuk in the top divisions in the Iraqi league, Aymen took the unorthodox route in his attempts into getting into a top flight of the Iraqi Premier League by signing for Gas Al-Shamal a club which was then in the second tier of the Kurdistan League, a division formed of primarily reserve players from the top Kurdish clubs.
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Aymen Hussein appeared only a few times for Duhok scoring one goals in the first stage of the season, however with salaries going unpaid for months at the cash-strapped club feeling the full ramifications of the financial crisis which had hit the Kurdistan region, Hussein made the decision to try his luck in Baghdad.
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Aymen Hussein had been one of six players at Duhok released due to their financial troubles during the latter part of the 2014.
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On 22 August 2017, Aymen Hussein signed for Iraqi giants Al Shorta, to replace Marwan Aymen Hussein.
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Aymen Hussein then returned to his former club Al Naft, despite Al Shorta insisting his release was conditional on him joining Al Ahli.
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On 2 February 2018, Aymen Hussein returned to his former club Al-Naft with his favorite coach Hassan Ahmed.
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Aymen Hussein started his first match with Al Naft against Al-Hudood FC, he missed a penalty and another against Naft Al-Wasat.
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Aymen Hussein finished his season with Al Naft with 11 goals in 22 matches in the league.
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Aymen Hussein was set to be paid 450,000 dollars per season.
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Aymen Hussein did not make any appearances in the first half of the season due to a paperwork error, rendering him ineligible to play competitive games for the side.
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Aymen Hussein made his first appearances in the Tunisian league in February 2019.
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Aymen Hussein struggled to get consistent gametime, mainly due to his lack of match fitness after missing the first half of the season.
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In July 2019, Aymen Hussein requested his release from Sfaxien due to the lack of playing time, and expressed his wishes to return to Iraq Aymen Hussein's contract was terminated by mutual consent, but he did not receive a compensation payment.
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Aymen Hussein then sued the club, and FIFA ruled in his favor, ordering the Tunisian side to pay him 50,000 US dollars.
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On 5 August 2018, Aymen Hussein officially returned to the Iraqi league, joining Al Quwa Al Jawiya on a one-year contract.
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Aymen Hussein scored 11 goals in 22 matches, averaging a goal every other game in the Qatrai league.
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Aymen Hussein finished as the league's 5th highest top goal scorer, and helped Umm Salal secure a 6th place finish.
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In July 2022, newly-promoted side Al Markhiya signed Aymen Hussein, to keep the player in Qatar.
21.
Aymen Hussein was given permission to join the Iraqi national team during the Arabian Gulf Cup, despite the league season still ongoing.
22.
On 7 February 2023, Aymen Hussein joined Al Jazira on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
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Aymen Hussein was meant to be a replacement for the club's captain and talisman Ali Mabkhout, who was set to leave the club in order to complete his mandatory service with the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.
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Aymen Hussein scored his only goal vs Al Bataeh Club.
25.
On 23 August 2023, Aymen Hussein signed a renewable one-year contract with Moroccan side Raja CA.
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Aymen Hussein found it difficult to adapt in Morocco, and struggled with his form.
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Aymen Hussein struggled personally as the strained diplomatic relations between Iraq and Morocco made it difficult to get the paperwork necessary to relocate his family to Morocco, he thus asked for his release but was persuaded to stay by mangment.
28.
In October 2023, Aymen Hussein returned to Al Quwa Al Jawiya in Iraq.
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Aymen Hussein has his best goal scoring season of his career, scoring 27 goals in the league campaign, winning the Iraqi golden boot for a second time.
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Aymen Hussein joined the club late for pre-season due to his participation with Iraq in the Olympic games, regardless he started his first game two days later, in a goalless draw against Al-Gharafa.
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Aymen Hussein first represented Iraq in 2015, playing for the U23 Iraqi team.
32.
Aymen Hussein was called up to the 2016 AFC U-23 Championship in Qatar.
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Aymen Hussein scored the winning goal in the third-place playoff match against Qatar, which won Iraq the bronze medal and sent them to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Hussein was injured in a friendly match with the senior team against Syria on 18 March 2016, preventing him from going to the Olympics.
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Aymen Hussein scored another goal against Saudi Arabia, to ensure that Iraq won all three games and qualified for the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship.
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Aymen Hussein scored twice in three games in the tournament, as Iraq went out in the quarter-finals.
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Aymen Hussein was called up to the Iraqi U23 side participating in the 2024 Summer Olympics as one of the three overage players.
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On 26 August 2015, Aymen Hussein earned his first international cap, playing against Lebanon in a friendly match.
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Aymen Hussein was called up to the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup, where Iraq ended up reaching the semi-finals.
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Aymen Hussein was part of the side in the 2019 WAFF Championship, where Iraq lost in the final to Bahrain on home soil.
40.
Aymen Hussein scored three goals in the qualifiers, against the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Syria, however Iraq failed to qualify to the world cup.
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In 2021, Aymen Hussein was called up the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.
42.
Aymen Hussein secured his first title with his country by winning the 25th Arabian Gulf Cup, hosted on home soil.
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Aymen Hussein finished the tournament as the joint top scorer, netting three goals alongside Ibrahim Bayesh.
44.
Aymen Hussein was called up to the 2023 King's Cup, a friendly tournament hosted in Thailand, which Iraq won.
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Aymen Hussein is seen as the typical complete forward who can play up front.
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Aymen Hussein is often deployed as a target man, tasked with holding up the ball, being physical with defenders, and being in the box for crosses.
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Aymen Hussein is known for his work-rate, being able to press defenders and capitalize on their mistakes.
48.
Aymen Hussein was born in the rural village of Al-Safra in the Hawija district of Kirkuk, which had been controlled by ISIS and was the scene of coalition air-strikes from 2014 to 2017.
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Aymen Hussein's brother was kidnapped by ISIS and his whereabouts are still unknown, while he and his family became internally displaced within Iraq since 2014.