Tunisia’s national goalkeeper appeared to feign injuries during World Cup practice matches so his team-mates could break their Ramadan fast.
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 team-mates to rush to the sidelines to eat dates and drink water before taking to the field again.
During their first match against Portugal, goalkeeper Hassen again 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.
Days earlier 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.
Freelance reporter Souhail Khmira tweeted that there is ‘an agreement’ between the players and their goalkeeper to break their fast in this way.
It does not appear however that Turkey, another mostly Muslim nation, had any such arrangement in place when they played against Tunisia.
