Tunisia’s national goalkeeper appeared to feign injuries during World Cup practice matches so his teammates could break their Ramadan fasts, Dailymail UK reports.
Mouez Hassen went down early in the second half of Tunisia’s games against Portugal and Turkey coinciding with sunset, which is when Ramadan fasting ends.
On both occasions his ‘injury’ prompted his teammates to rush to the sidelines to eat dates and drink water before taking to the field again.
During their first match against Portugal, Nice keeper Hassen went down in the 58th-minute with an ‘injury’.
Just six minutes later, Tunisia, who are in England’s group at the World Cup, scored and the game finished 2-2.
On Saturday against Turkey, Hassen lay flat on his back after a corner in the 49th-minute, allowing his team-mates to leave the pitch for food and water. He stayed down for around a minute.
That match also finished 2-2.
Tunisian sports reporters were the first to point out that Hassen’s injuries both coincided with sunset, which is when Iftar – or the breaking of the fast – begins.
Hassen was not punished during either game by the on-field officials, and is unlikely to face any subsequent punishment because proving the injury was not genuine is virtually impossible.
? : Mouez Hassen (@hassen_mouez) touché lors d’un contact aérien avec un joueur turc,les Aigles de Carthage en profitent pour romprent le jeûne avec quelques barres énergétiques,des dattes et de l’eau??
#Ramadan #Iftar #TUNTUR ????(2-2) @LBDFootball @tunisiefootball pic.twitter.com/iGYLlijTlm
— Les Aigles de Carthage ??? (@LADC_Officiel) June 3, 2018
The Tunisian football federation has yet to comment on the timing of the two injury breaks.
Hundreds of millions of Muslims around the world are observing Ramadan at the moment. It is a month of self-discipline where Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and having sex from sunrise to sunset.
The Quran demands that ‘whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month’ but makes exceptions, adding: ‘Whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, a number of other days.’
