Iraq's Ahmed Yasin Says His Teammates Are 'Real Men' Playing With 'Broken Hearts' Due To The War

It's clear Ahmed Yasin has nothing but admiration for his Iraqi teammates, who he counts as "real men" that "play with a broken heart", having lived and played through the ravages of war.
He's hoping to be part of an Asian Cup quarter-final victory over Iran at Canberra Stadium on Friday that would bring great joy to the Iraqi people back home.
The war isn't something the 23-year-old winger has had to deal with himself. His family fled the fighting from the Gulf War when he was one and relocated to Sweden to start a new life.
While he can feel the sorrow from years of war, he also understands the joy they can bring to the Iraqi people every time they win.
Iraq has struggled through conflict since before Ahmed was born. The Gulf War of the early 1990s preceded a US-led invasion a decade ago, with the unrest continuing today.
He said his friends and family hadn't been affected, but some of his teammates weren't so lucky.
"Some of the players have [had family and friends die in the war], it's tough, it's very tough," Ahmed said
"They play with a  broken heart, you know, I see them like real, real men who play for their country."
He said the people of Iraq still aren't free to go wherever they want, with some places far too dangerous to visit.
Ahmed has been back to his country of birth a few times – once to get his Iraqi passport sorted so he can play for them, and also to visit extended family.
He loved his time there – although he admitted to being a little afraid – experiencing the vastly different lifestyle to what he's grown up with in Sweden, where he now plays for Orebro SK in the top division.
"It's tough because they don't have the freedom to do whatever they want," Ahmed said.
"If they go out, anything can explode. They don't know when, they don't know where, so it's tough.
"They are very brave, all these players, and play with their heart when they play for the national team. And everyone wants to make all of Iraq happy, because we are a big, big part in Iraq."
Iraq go in as massive underdogs against neighbours Iran, but Ahmed felt they had the players to win.
It's a match that boasts a massive rivalry, including the Persian Gulf War between the two countries in the 1980s.
While Iraq coach Radhi Swadi called for the fans of the two teams to be separated at Canberra Stadium, Ahmed felt no lingering bitterness would appear on the pitch.
Instead it was simply an important game between two rivals.
"When you're on the pitch, I don't many players think about the history," he said.
"We try to win the game and get to the semi-final, that's it.
"Of course it's not going to be a usual game because it's Iran that we're playing against.
"From my perspective, I don't have any problems with Irani players or coaches. It's a history, but the history doesn't follow us to the pitch."