Respect

Players stop pro soccer game so Muslim player can end his Ramadan fast

getty:Wesley Fofana of Leicester City

Story at a glance

  • The match between Leicester and Crystal Palace on Monday evening was briefly stopped so Leicester defender Wesley Fofana could break his Ramadan fast.
  • The short delay was agreed upon by both teams and the referees before the game.
  • Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by hundreds of millions of Muslims across the globe as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community.

A Muslim soccer player is thanking the Premier League and his opponents for allowing a brief pause during a game so he could break his Ramadan fast. 

The match between Leicester and Crystal Palace on Monday evening was briefly stopped so Leicester defender Wesley Fofana could leave the field to get something to drink as the sun set. 


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The pause came in the 35th minute of the match when the ball went out for a Crystal Palace goal kick. Instead of restarting the game right away, the Palace goalie held onto the ball while Fofana grabbed a drink before returning to the field to play. 

The short delay was agreed upon by both teams and the referees before the game. 

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is observed by hundreds of millions of Muslims across the globe as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. During Ramadan, which runs April 12 to May 12 this year, Muslims do not eat or drink in the daylight hours. 

Fofana thanked everyone who agreed to pause the game after the match in a tweet. 

“That’s what makes football wonderful,” Fofan said in the post

Leicester went on to win the game 2-1.


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