Ex-Egypt star admits Ramadan difficulties in football

He acknowledged that it will be difficult for FIFA to make a special calendar for Muslims during Ramadan.

He said that when he was playing in Portugal for Beira-Mar, his coach was furious when he found that he did not eat because he was fasting during Ramadan. "He said that I could not play because a player needed a certain amount of energy to play but I believed and still believe that spirit is more important than energy," he said. The former midfield dynamo who became the first player from Egypt to play abroad added that if the spirit is not there, a player can fail to perform even if he is well fed. He said in Portugal, his coach put him in the first line up after he realised that he was raring to go despite the fact that he was fasting. "At the end of the match, I was chosen the best player on the pitch," he said. He stated that when FIFA organises its calendar, it is done for everyone and therefore it will be difficult to make one specifically for the Muslims.