But Zikos Chua and Abdul Rasaq Akeem have proven they are lion-hearts as they recovered, got back on the goal trail and are now hunting for their first senior cap as national football coach Tsutomu Og-ura looks for options to complement the likes of Ikhsan Fandi and Faris Ramli up front.
Born in Kastoria, Greece, to a Singaporean father and Greek mother, Chua relocated to Singapore when he was 10. At first, he struggled with the humidity and stressful school life, but football gave him "an outlet to decompress and escape".
He went on to excel in sport.
Turning out for Geylang International in 2019, he became the youngest player to score twice in a game (17 years, 69 days) and reach five goals (17 years, 102 days) in the Singapore Premier League (SPL) before his run was ended by a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while with the Singapore Under-18s.
After joining the Young Lions in 2022, he became the youngest player to score four goals in an SPL game (20 years, 114 days) and topped their scoring charts with eight goals in 19 games - before tearing his right ACL again.
This story is from the October 14, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the October 14, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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