He had to go through not one, but two surgeries within a year. But now, Abdul Rasaq Akeem is finally back and ready to play a big part for the Lion City Sailors once again. 

The 23-year-old looked sharp on his return from a year-long absence, starting in the Sailors’ 6-0 Singapore Premier League (SPL) win over Tanjong Pagar United last weekend (14 September). He even got on the scoresheet with a well-taken penalty for the opening goal during his 70 minutes on the pitch.

“It was such an amazing feeling to be back in the starting line-up and scoring,” said Rasaq. “I feel 100 percent now, and I just want to keep doing what I do best to help the team.” 

It has been a long way back for Rasaq, who enjoyed an outstanding debut season for the Sailors in 2023 – he finished as joint-top local scorer alongside teammate Shawal Anuar with 10 goals, including a memorable winner in a 3-2 comeback victory over Albirex Niigata (S). 

Then tragedy struck as he sustained a meniscus injury while representing Singapore in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers last September. It was an injury that required surgery and forced him to miss the rest of the season, including all six of the Sailors’ group-stage matches in last season’s AFC Champions League (ACL), and their winning run in the Singapore Cup.

“I came to the Sailors to play in competitions like the ACL, but it wasn’t to be last season,” lamented Rasaq. “I still recall the moment when I got injured – the Guam defender came from the side and hit me on the knee. The pain got worse after a few days and after some checks, it was confirmed that I had to go for surgery.

“There were a lot of tears and damage on both the medial and lateral sides of the meniscus, so they had to stitch them up, and it required some time to heal.”

Rasaq returned to training during pre-season earlier this year, but something still felt off. The pain in his meniscus persisted, and it soon became clear that he needed a second operation to repair the damage – this was the blow that hit him the hardest.

“Initially, I thought that it’s normal to feel this way because I just got back to training, but the pain did not get better,” Rasaq recounted. “So, we sought a second opinion and found out that the stitching on the medial side had come out. It was very difficult for me to accept, especially when I found out I had to undergo another surgery. 

“To work so hard to get back to a certain level, thinking you’re almost there, only to find out things aren’t as you perceived and be hit by another setback — that was a real mountain to climb for me.”

Nonetheless, the ups-and-downs of his recovery and rehabilitation process taught Rasaq plenty of lessons. He also credited his strong religious faith for helping him through these challenging times.

“This whole year I’ve been out, I’ve learned so much about the importance of being patient and trusting the process. What helped me most was my belief in God and trusting Him on this journey,” said Rasaq, who is a Muslim.

“Having undergone the first surgery, I was also better able to handle the post-op recovery after the second one. There were days where I was frustrated and wanted to rush things, but I learnt to be more honest with myself – to listen to my body, and know when to take things slow.

“I took the process day-by-day, working with our rehab specialist David Conde, who has done so much for me. I’m very thankful to him, as well as the doctors who performed the surgeries.”

After making the bench for three matches, Rasaq was finally given his opportunity to start against the Jaguars a week ago. The emotions were written all over his face after his goal — to him, it was about more than just scoring. 

Rasaq revealed, “The goal was important not just for me, but to my family, as I lost my grandfather about a month ago. I’m glad I had the opportunity to dedicate it to him and my family.”

He was then named in the matchday squad for a continental game for the first time, when the Sailors memorably beat China’s Zhejiang Professional 2-0 in their ACL Two opener. It was a special victory that fueled Rasaq’s hunger for more.

“It was special just to be with the boys and be part of this team that achieved such a remarkable victory. I felt the commitment from everyone, from the players, to the staff to the fans; everyone played their part,” Rasaq mused.

“This is the benchmark for us, and we should be building on this, not just for regional matches, but also for our domestic matches. We need to constantly push ourselves to play at this higher intensity.”

For now, Rasaq and the Sailors are fully focused on their immediate task on Sunday (22 September) – taking on a high-flying Balestier Khalsa side that are currently fourth in the SPL and unbeaten in their last six matches. 

“As players, it’s important that we build on this momentum and bring the same commitment back into the SPL,” said Rasaq. “Balestier are one of the most entertaining teams in the league and will be tough to play against, so we need to show the same commitment we did against Zhejiang.

“The fans always stand up for us, and we need to stand up for them and try to deliver the results they deserve.”