When Singapore right-back Ismadi Mukhtar went down with a groin strain in the 39th minute of Singapore's 4-2 AFF Suzuki Cup win over Myanmar on Wednesday night and signalled to the bench that he could not carry on, assistant coach Aide Iskandar beckoned for his replacement to prepare for battle.
Up stepped shirt no.16 who took a sip of water, pulled up his socks, cracked his neck as he took off his substitute's vest to reveal a lion heart. He's a player who has been touted as one of Singapore's next generation of stars to continue the four-times ASEAN champions' standing as one of the region's top footballing nations.
A slow walk and a silent prayer, Al-Qaasimy Rahman was ready for battle at the National Stadium.
The Courts Young Lions captain only made his national team debut against Papua New Guinea in September. He's already gained a reputation as a no-nonsense defender, versatile enough to play on either wing. And he loves his overlapping forays as much as a strong tackle.
"I wasn't nervous: I'm always ready to come on whenever called upon," Al-Qaasimy said. "You never know, like today, two injuries in the first-half. Ismadi suddenly got injured, I had to come on right away. Not having to warm myself up properly but nevertheless, I stood beside the fourth official, ready for my Suzuki Cup debut. Speechless. Just couldn't wait to run in and carry on with business."
He had to deal with the pace of Myanmar's Nanda Lin Kyaw Chit but the litmus test came in the second-half when the White Angel's superstar winger Kyi Lin came on. A battle of epic proportions began to take place down Singapore's right wing where the tricky winger tried to wreak havoc as the visitors clawed back to 3-2, having trailed by three goals at the break.
"Of course I was given a heads up by the coaches about Kyi Lin. He is strong, physical and very good technically. But I had the experience of playing against him at the Merdeka Cup and I knew that he likes to play a physical game so I had to stay on my feet to deal with this type of player and not commit too early." said the 22-year-old.
The Lions went on to win the game despite a nervy second-half which saw Radojko Avramovic's men come back to cause some uncomfortable moments before another superb Shaiful Esah free-kick kept the result save in the bag for the Lions.
That victory coupled with Malaysia's last-gasp loss to Thailand means that the two archrivals will head into Saturday's final Group B clash with everything on the line in a winner-takes-all showdown. Malaysia can go through if they beat Singapore while a draw may be enough for the Lions to qualify for the semifinals if Myanmar fail to defeat Thailand by more than four goals.
Turning his attention towards the Causeway derby on Saturday, Qaasimy was calm when asked if players like Amri Yahyah and S. Kunalan are the potential threats. But he reiterated that he never allows the opponents to get into his head before a match.
"The names you brought up (Amri and Kunalan) are good. I also played against Safee [Sali] and Shahrul [Norshahdul Idlan Talaha] when I was 18, so I know what to expect. Also, I have the habit of not thinking about my opponents because all I want to do is to give my 100% and believe in what I'm capable of. I go in hard in any tackle but it is make or break. It's all for the team because we are a unit."
The equation for Group B, heading into the final group match on Saturday is simple. Myanmar need a huge victory over Thailand while Singapore and Malaysia can both go through with a win. With so many possible permutations, Qaasimy and his teammates are keen to finish off the job on their own rather than depend on the outcome of the other match.
"Every game is a do-or-die game for us. To play it safe, we don't go for a draw, we go for all three points. We go in with the same humble mentality, same step forward as a team and hopefully get the job done and qualify for the semifinals." he added.
With a full capacity crowd of 55,000 spectators expected to fill up the Kallang cauldron, Qaasimy will be thrown into action from the start if Ismadi fails to recover in time. Qaasimy is buzzing at the prospect -- not only playing against Malaysia but trying to defend Singapore's ASEAN crown.
He declared: "Apart from playing against Juventus, this (Suzuki Cup debut against Myanmar) has to be the most memorable game of my young career so far. Because this is for my country, the loyal fans who back us up rain or shine, my friends and family who believed in me all my life. I train hard waiting for games like this. So if I get to play against Malaysia, I am ready. Let's go."
With Thailand, on six points, having already qualified, Saturday's derby between the two traditional footballing rivals will be one that has two nations' hopes on the line. As the saying goes, "Go big, or go home."