It all happened in a blur.
Lining up for the Singapore National Team in Round 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027™ qualifiers in March 2024, Sailors full-back Zulqarnaen Suzliman – better known as Mamat – found himself chasing down China PR’s Li Yuanyi in the 40th minute.
Then, disaster struck.
“As I was running, I felt something click in my left knee,” he recounted. “I immediately knew something was wrong, but with adrenaline rushing through my body, I decided to finish the half. When we got back to the changing room, it felt like my knee was stuck – I couldn’t bend or straighten it.”
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While the Lions eventually fell 4-1 in Tianjin that night, the pain lingered long after the final whistle for Mamat, who would later learn the full extent of his injury upon returning to Singapore.
“I tried not to think too much about it while I was still in China. But once I went for a scan back home, reality hit me hard,” said the 27-year-old. “I had torn my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
“I had enjoyed a very good 2023 season up to that point, so when I got the news, I broke down and cried. It was difficult to accept that I’d be missing almost an entire season with the Sailors — and big competitions like the (ASEAN Club Championship) Shopee Cup and the AFC Champions League Two, which I was really looking forward to.”
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This was Mamat’s second major injury setback in three years, having spent six months on the sidelines with a torn hamstring in July 2022. Knowing just how grueling the road to recovery could be, the thought of enduring it all over again was tough to swallow.
And so, for the next eight months, Mamat lived in the gym — turning up six days a week, often adding pitch work after his strength sessions.
But his biggest battle wasn’t physical.
“Those few months were mentally challenging,” he admitted. “Physically, I could handle the gym. But doing the same rehab exercises day in, day out… that really tested me. Some days, I felt so drained and just didn’t want to go in. But I had no choice. I had to find a way to keep going.”
Staying motivated, however, proved easier said than done. As much as he tried to focus on his recovery, the emotional toll of being away from the pitch began to weigh on him.
“Honestly, I chose not to watch the team’s matches during the first few months,” said Mamat. “Whenever I did, it felt like I was out there with them, and that just made me even more frustrated and stressed.”
Still, the longing to return never faded.
“I missed everything about matchday — the warm-ups, the travelling, the adrenaline. The team was doing well, and that gave me motivation. I just wanted to get back to fitness and be with them again, both on and off the pitch.”
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To cope with the tough days, Mamat leaned on the unwavering support of his family. He also made it a point to spend more time with his children, bringing them to the pool and playground every weekend — brief but cherished escapes from the rigours of rehabilitation.
“My mum and wife have been with me every step of the way,” he shared. “They saw how mentally exhausted I was on so many days, and kept encouraging me to keep going. They just wanted to see me back doing what I love — playing football.”
Beyond home, the Sailors family also formed a vital pillar of strength in his recovery journey.
“The medical staff and coaches at the Sailors have been fantastic. I definitely wouldn’t have made it back without them,” Mamat said. “My teammates were a big part of that too. Guys like Rui Pires and Bailey Wright kept checking in and kept me going in the gym. That kind of support made all the difference.”
After 315 gruelling days, Mamat finally made his long-awaited return to competitive football, earning valuable minutes against the Young Lions in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) U21 League on 3 February. With the long road to recovery finally behind him — at least for a moment — stepping onto the pitch again brought back a flood of emotions.
“Playing just a few minutes in that game made me feel like a child again,” Mamat smiled. “It reminded me of the pure joy I used to feel as a kid — just being able to play the game freely. That feeling had been missing from my life for nearly a year.”
Grateful for the opportunity, Mamat embraced his role as one of the squad’s senior figures.
“It was great to be part of a young, hungry team that really wanted to win. As an overaged player, I did my best to guide the boys, and I appreciated the trust the coaches placed in me to lead by example.”
But, just as things were finally looking up, another cruel twist arrived.
In a match against Hougang United’s U21s on 3 March, Mamat suffered a torn hamstring and, once again, found himself sidelined — this time for another one and a half months.
“I knew I was really close to being back at my best, so this setback hit me hard,” he admitted. “It triggered a lot of thoughts about giving up on the season altogether. But then I reminded myself of everything I’d already overcome. There was no way I could throw in the towel now.
“That mindset pushed me to give everything in the gym once more, just to get back to where I was.”
Mamat’s perseverance would finally pay off.
He returned to fitness just in time to help clinch the U21 League title with the young Sailors, and from April onwards, began featuring regularly on the senior team bench. That eventually led to a long-awaited return to first-team action on 14 May against Balestier Khalsa — 518 days after his last senior appearance in December 2023.
“Getting the chance to play first-team football again was incredibly refreshing after 14 months of rehab,” said Mamat, who looked sharp across 88 composed minutes on the pitch. “I had to readjust to the pace and intensity of senior football, but I think I did pretty well, and most importantly, I was just overjoyed to be back out there.”
While that night marked a major milestone, Mamat remains grounded and is focused not on making up for lost time, but on building steadily, one game at a time.
“I know getting back to my best won’t happen overnight and will take time,” he reflected. “Right now, it’s about getting more minutes, rebuilding my confidence, and just enjoying my football again. The key is to be patient, and to trust the process.”
The Sailors’ final league outing of the season offers the perfect platform for Mamat to continue his comeback, as they take on second-placed BG Tampines Rovers this Saturday (24 May).
With Head Coach Aleksandar Ranković set to rotate his squad, the Sailors remain intent on using the clash to build rhythm and confidence ahead of a crucial Singapore Cup semi-final second leg against Brunei DPMM just three days later.
“We approach every game with the same winning mentality, and this one is no different,” said Mamat. “Ending the season on a high is important for us, so we’ll give everything to take all three points on Saturday and carry that momentum into the Singapore Cup.”
Mamat’s renewed drive to compete comes from months of soul-searching and tireless work behind the scenes.
“Being away from football for so long made me appreciate the game even more,” he reflected. “Recovering from a serious injury isn’t just about physical strength, it’s about mental resilience. You have to stay disciplined, even on the hardest days. And it’s those days that have made me truly grateful for every opportunity to step back onto the pitch.”
