Back on the pitch with a smile on his face, Zulqarnaen Suzliman eyes return to peak

SINGAPORE – Football means the world to Zulqarnaen Suzliman.

Since he picked up the sport as a five-year-old and progressed through the ranks to become a professional player, he is rarely seen without a ball at his feet.

But a nightmare few years saw him spending more time on the sidelines than on the pitch, with the 27-year-old even contemplating giving up the sport.

After enduring an injury-riddled 2024 and spending 2025 warming the bench at the Lion City Sailors, the fullback has been handed a chance for a fresh start in the new year.

Earlier in January, Zulqarnaen – often referred to by his nickname Mamat – moved on loan to Albirex Niigata until the end of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) season to get more game time.

He has since started in the 3-2 and 4-0 league victories over Tanjong Pagar United and Balestier Khalsa respectively in January. And he is eyeing a hat-trick of wins when Albirex host Geylang International on Feb 2 at the Jurong East Stadium.

Little wonder then that Zulqarnaen is wearing a wide smile these days. But not long ago, his days were much darker.

Once a national team regular, the fullback was far removed from the crunching tackles, crucial clearances and overlapping runs on the flanks that he was known for, after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Singapore’s

4-1 defeat by China

in a World Cup qualifier in Tianjin in March 2024.

That marked the start of a gruelling and arduous road to recovery.

“At some point during the recovery, I did have the thoughts of, ‘Why am I doing this again? Why should I force myself? Will I be at the same level that I used to be at?’,” said Zulqarnaen, who credited his family and several Sailors teammates for keeping him motivated.

“But I knew that (having) these thoughts is also part of the recovery process.

“I reflected and I feel like I’m still young and I can still do well and return to the top of my game and that I just have to keep pushing.”

After almost a year out, Zulqarnaen returned to action with an appearance for the Sailors in an SPL Under-21 league match in February 2025.

But he was hit by another setback the following month, when he tore his hamstring and was sidelined for over a month.

He finally made his first-team comeback against Balestier Khalsa on May 14, 2025, in the penultimate match of the season, 518 days after his last senior appearance in December 2023.

However, Zulqarnaen’s hopes of featuring prominently for the Sailors in the current campaign were dashed as he has fallen behind Akram Azman and Christopher van Huizen in the pecking order.

In Sailors’ first five matches of the season, Zulqarnaen managed to get just four minutes on the pitch as a substitute, prompting him to seek a move.

He said: “I just wanted to be playing football regularly again at the level I know I am capable of.

“Once you get injured and recover, all you want is the confidence back in your game – that was important to me.”

With his wish for more playing time granted at Albirex, Zulqarnaen now wants to repay the team’s faith by helping them clinch an AFC Champions League Two play-off berth, through a runners-up finish in the eight-team SPL.

The White Swans are currently third with 13 points, one behind BG Tampines Rovers and eight adrift of league leaders Sailors.

He is also eyeing a return to the national fold, especially for

Singapore’s 2027 Asian Cup campaign

, in his bid to add to his 28 caps.

Zulqarnaen said: “It is every Singaporean footballer’s dream to play in this kind of tournament and I will do my best to deserve to be called up again. I feel like I deserve to be there because I was part of the start of the journey during that two-legged play-off against Guam at the start of the qualifiers.”

Similarly, forward Abdul Rasaq, 24, has also joined Albirex on loan from the Sailors in search of regular game time.

Rasaq said: “It’s very important for me to play... as I am in a crucial period in my football career. With working hard and putting in maximum effort in each game, I want to achieve my goals.”

Albirex coach Keiji Shigetomi described Zulqarnaen as a “powerful player with a dynamic playing style” and he believes that the fullback can have a big impact.

On the match against Geylang, the Japanese coach hopes his team will continue the winning momentum against a “well-organised side”.

He added: “The win against Balestier gave us confidence, but more importantly, it reinforced our belief in the process and the work the players have been putting in.”

Hougang United v Young Lions (Jan 30, 7.30pm, Bishan Stadium)

The Young Lions will be looking to build on the performance which earned them their first point of the season in the 1-1 draw with Tanjong Pagar United on Jan 26. Hougang, meanwhile, are looking to put their last outing – a 5-1 loss to Sailors – behind them.

BG Tampines Rovers v Tanjong Pagar United (Jan 31, 7.30pm, Our Tampines Hub)

Tanjong Pagar, whose last win in the league was in September 2025, will hope to exploit any signs of fatigue by the Stags, who come into this fixture just three days after a

4-1 loss to Buriram United

in the Asean Club Championship.

Lion City Sailors v Balestier Khalsa (Feb 1, 7.30pm, Jalan Besar Stadium)

The Sailors’ relentless march, with seven wins from seven, looks unlikely to be stopped by Balestier, who have lost four consecutive matches, including two defeats by the Sailors in the Singapore Cup semi-finals.