ɪlɪˈɑːsuː wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn tˈɛmə, ɡˈɑːnə, ænd bɪɡˈæn hɪz kɚɹˈɪɹ ɪn kjuːmˈɑːsi wɪð ɹˈiːəl ɹᵻpˈʌblɪkənz—ɐ jˈuːθ klˈʌb—ænd ðˈɛn kˈɪŋ fˈaɪsəl bˈeɪbz, wˌɛɹ hiː plˈeɪd ɪn tˈuː səksˈɛsɪv kæmpˈeɪnz ɪnðɪ ˈæfɹɪkən kənfˌɛdɚɹˈeɪʃənz kˈʌp ɪn tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈoːɹ ænd tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈaɪv.
Illiasu was born in Tema, Ghana, and began his career in Kumasi with Real Republicans—a youth club—and then King Faisal Babes, where he played in two successive campaigns in the African Confederations Cup in 2004 and 2005.