“Come on, you can do it.”
It’s one thing to hear that from any teammate. It’s another to hear it from your captain, Rosnani Azman — which is exactly what a then-17-year-old Yasmine Zaharin got, right before she stepped onto the pitch for her senior debut, subbed on against Laos with a semi-final spot at the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Women’s Cup 2024 on the line.
“My thought was, ‘Oh my God, this is actually happening,’” she recounted. “My heart was beating so fast. But Nani was really supportive — she was my center-back partner, and she told me, ‘Come on, you can do it.’ I just felt more at ease.”
She composed herself, focused on the task at hand — and the rest was history. Singapore went on to qualify for the semis, eventually securing a spot in the 2026 ASEAN Championships.
Now, with the Lionesses just days away from the AFF Women’s Cup 2026 campaign in Kuala Lumpur, that night feels like the right place to start — because two years on, Yasmine finds herself right back where it began.
Growing into the game
She picked up the sport in 2014, tagging along after her sister Nadya caught the football bug during the World Cup — training together at First Kick Academy, back when girls’ teams were scarce enough that Yasmine had to play in boys’ age groups just to get on the pitch. She’d go on to play alongside a close circle of friends still in the current squad today, including Mulan Ayliffe and Ain Salleh.
Football wasn’t even her only sport growing up — she juggled athletics for school and football on the outside, all while coming up through FAS’s national youth system, until a Unleash The Roar! scholarship to the United States, where she and seven other young footballers were the first batch to receive it, tipped the scales fully toward football.
That history makes her growth since the Laos match all the more striking. “Back then, I was definitely more panicky on the ball,” she reflected.
“I hadn’t played many international tournaments at that level. But over the years, I’ve grown to understand the game better — I’m more composed, more confident at the back, and I make quicker decisions under pressure.”
No longer the rookie
That growth shows. Yasmine has become a regular fixture for the team, and at only 19 years of age, has already amassed 13 caps for the country — the nervous teenager on the bench now one of the players others look to.
“I’m one of the more senior members of this team now, so I try to help guide and mentor the younger players,” she said. “It’s not really pressure, though — I still have my own support system in the more seasoned players.”
This time, it’s not just symbolic. Singapore are set to open their AFF Women’s Cup 2026 campaign against Laos in the group stage, once again, on 13 July in Kuala Lumpur — the very side that gave Yasmine her first senior cap.
“When I saw the draw, I definitely felt a sense of déjà vu — my debut was actually against Laos in the same tournament, and it brought back some good memories,” she said.
Still, she’s not getting swept up in the symbolism.
“It doesn’t feel that different this time round. They’re a different team compared to 2024, and we’re a different team as well — so we should just put in our best performance and get the result we’re aiming for.”
But some things haven’t changed. The goal this time round is the same as it was two years ago.
“I hope I can play a bigger role in helping us achieve our goal, which is to qualify, she said.
“Last time we did, it was such a great moment for us — a memory I’ll cherish. I hope to experience that again in this AFF.”
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