Tunisia’s World Cup team has admitted that their goalkeeper faked injury during two friendly matches so that his tired teammates could break their fast.
Head coach Nabil Maaloul told the BBC: “That is indeed my strategy. I prepared it because we have many players who are fasting.:
“It didn’t go very well in the first game [against Portugal] because Mouez [the goalkeeper] didn’t quite understand when I told him to go down to allow the players, as well as the staff, to break fast. I sent over Yassine Meriah, but he still didn’t get the message. But it was easier for the second match since we informed him in advance.”
In warm-up matches against Portugal then Turkey, goalkeeper Mouez Hassen pretended to be injured at sundown, when the fast comes to an end.
As he lay on the pitch receiving medical treatment, his teammates rushed to the sidelines to drink water and snack on dates. In both matches they bounced back to finish 2-2.
Ramadan will be over by the time World Cup warm-ups finish and the tournament begins in earnest.
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