SINGAPORE — Finding out that he failed to make the cut for last year’s SEA Games squad was one of the worst moments of Iqbal Hussain’s footballing career. His confidence at an all-time low, he began to question his abilities and wondered if he would ever be good enough for the international stage.

It hurt even more when there were media reports casting doubts about his discipline and attitude.

With the support of his family and friends, however, the 23-year-old resolved not to dwell on the setback. Instead, the 1.86m-tall forward knuckled down and began working even harder to improve himself as a player.

Iqbal’s efforts have since paid off. After impressing for Hougang United this season — scoring six goals so far — he was recalled to the national team by head coach V Sundramoorthy for last month’s friendly against Bahrain where he earned only his second international cap.

And the versatile player — who can also play in midfield — did enough to convince Sundram to call him up again for the Lions’ upcoming friendlies against Malaysia tomorrow and Hong Kong on Oct 11.

Having experienced the disappointment of being left out of the SEA Games squad, Iqbal is now determined to make the most of his chance in the national team.

“The moment I was dropped from the SEA Games, I questioned myself if I was good enough as a player,” Iqbal, who is still serving his National Service with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), told TODAY.

“But my family and friends, and even some young fans, continued to show me great support, and I decided that I couldn’t let the setback get me down. So I used it as a form of motivation for me and began training harder to prove to myself that I can make it as a national player.

“Now that I’ve been called up to the national team, it will give me a chance to prove to myself that I do deserve to be part of this team. I don’t care about my critics or the past, all I’m focused now is to use this opportunity to improve myself and become the best player I can be.”

Iqbal however, currently has to battle the likes of stalwart Khairul Amri and Geylang International’s Sahil Suhaimi for a striking position in the national team. While Khairul, 31, is regarded as the first-choice forward for the Lions at the moment, Iqbal says he will be working towards taking on the mantle of the team’s chief striker in future.

“Sure, I’d love to make the Lions striking position my own one day,” said Iqbal. “I play as a striker for Hougang and I think coach Sundram called me up because of my consistent performances in the first place.

“If coach thinks I’m better off as a striker, then for sure I’ll give my best in that position, although now I usually am deployed in midfield. But Sahil is doing very well too, and he can be the next chief striker.

“However, if I’m given the chance up front, then I’ll definitely relish it. But my aim now is to contribute to the team, especially in attack, regardless of where I play.”

Sundram is set to assess his players over the next two friendlies as he decides over who to bring to the Philippines for his Suzuki Cup campaign. And Iqbal says he will do his best to make the final squad for the tournament as he does not want to miss out on yet another major competition.

“The only thing I can do now is to work hard in training and impress when I’m out on the pitch, starting with the friendly against Malaysia,” said Iqbal. “If coach Sundram decides if I’m deserving of a place in the Suzuki Cup team, it’ll be a huge honour and I’ll definitely give my best in the tournament.”

CAUSEWAY CHALLENGE

Singapore v Malaysia

Tomorrow, 8.30pm, National Stadium

For tickets, visit www.sportshub.com.sg/sportshubtix/Pages/Causeway-Challenge-2016.aspx