Ahmed Abdelkader has completed a permanent move from Ahly SC to Iraqi side Al-Karma, joining the Iraq Stars League club for a reported fee of €212k. The Egypt international left winger arrives with a current market valuation of €325k and has signed a contract running from 2026-02-04 to 2026-06-30.
The 26-year-old becomes one of the headline additions to Al-Karma’s attack as the Iraqi club look to strengthen their wide options with a right-footed winger who operates primarily on the left. His switch marks a clear step in his career pathway: leaving Egypt’s Premier League and a giant of African football in Ahly SC to establish himself in Iraq’s top flight.
Abdelkader’s transfer continues a career shaped by both domestic and overseas experience. Born in Cairo, he came through El Ahly Cairo’s youth ranks before an early stint in Europe with AC Sparta Prague B. That move, initially on loan and then as a permanent transfer, gave him his first taste of professional football outside Egypt. He subsequently returned to his boyhood club’s youth setup, then broke into senior Egyptian football via a loan spell at Smouha SC, where his form earned him a recall to Ahly’s first team.
His value rose steadily during his time in Egypt. While at Smouha SC his estimated worth climbed to €200k, and after re-establishing himself at Ahly his valuation peaked at around €800k before later stabilising. A loan move to Qatar SC followed, adding the Qatar Stars League to his résumé and demonstrating his adaptability to different football cultures and tactical demands in the Middle East.
After returning from Qatar SC to Ahly SC at the end of that loan, Abdelkader’s market value was assessed at €325k in late 2025, just prior to this transfer. Al-Karma have now moved to secure him on a standard transfer, investing €212k to bring in a player with a proven track record across multiple leagues and environments. The deal also prevents him from entering free-agent status immediately after his time at Ahly, tying his peak years to the Iraqi club.
Standing at 1.80 m and naturally right-footed, Abdelkader is expected to offer width, ball-carrying and creativity cutting in from the left side of the attack. His previous spells in Egypt, the Czech Republic and Qatar suggest he can adjust to varying tactical systems and levels of physicality, an asset for an Al-Karma side aiming to compete in a demanding Iraq Stars League campaign.
For Al-Karma, the acquisition of an experienced Egyptian winger with continental pedigree is a statement of intent. For Abdelkader, it is another confirmed step in a career already marked by cross-border moves, adding Iraqi football to a journey that has taken him from Cairo to Prague, back to Egypt, on to Qatar and now to the Iraq Stars League.
