NIGERIAN PLAYERS NEED TO STOP DIS FASTING DURING MATCH STUFF

[Tunisian Gooner]

Our women's team do it and lost woefully in the world cups..our youth squads do it and same happens...I don't see how it benefits U to put yourself at physical disadvantage when religion allows U and exception in this instance

Is there any conclusive data that shows fasting adversely affects results? At the very least that would be needed to begin this conversation. Understand that in this case it's football where anything can happen.

There is no debate..intake of food and fluids leading up to and during any competition is paramount for any athlete.

Be it pre training, during training, post training intake of fluids and foods i.e energy bars are par the course. During games fluids such as water and Gatorade vital. During HT/Intermission of football, NHL, NBA, NFL...foods such as peanut butter and Jelly are mandatory for players.

Anyone debating this is being rigid and disingenuous.

[hangingfire]

While I don't condone fasting during participation in an intense sport like international football, I do know some players who believe that they play better on an empty stomach. Toyin Ayinla was one of them. "Washington" never played on a full stomach since he believes it makes him sick to do so. He won't even eat immediately after playing a match on empty stomach for the same reason but would rather wait for an hour or two afterwards to eat.

Many Christian players also feel the same way and do it whether or not they are undergoing religious fasting. I know a team mate who would never play a match unless his stomach is filled with ogogoro. Our coach personally supplies him a bottle free and encourages him to consume it all. The result is a possessed ball wizard who never gets tired. I tried it once and nearly died on the field. The result was the reverse for me. I was exhausted within thirty minutes and begged the coach to be subbed.

If I were a national team coach, I will not call up a player who is fasting because if anything happens to him or her while knowingly playing on an empty stomach, the coach should be held responsible for lack of professionalism. I bet you that was the reason coach Rohr kept Ahmed Musa on the bench. However, truth be told, Musa was far more spritely and better, (when he came on), than those who started ahead of him fasting or not.

Goalkeeper "Akpere" appeared to me to be exhausted from 100 years of relentless fasting, ditto Iwobi, Iheanacho, Moses Simon and, (especially), Ndidi. Every time the South Africans touched Onazi our captain, he went clutching at the ground like someone who had not eaten for 40 days and forty nights.

All the noise about Chiedozie Awaziem was only a wasted effort. His partnership with Ekong was an eyesore. While Awaziem was suspect all through the encounter, Ekong once again showed that if he's not partnered with his oyibo look alike (Balogun) in the national team, he becomes a glittery bag of rubbish.

I don't know if it was Awaziem that made Ekong so uncomfortable or if it was Ekong's gittery displays that made the inexperienced Awaziem so unreliable. Rohr should also be blamed for capping too many new players in a match versus a team like South Africa. It was a needless gamble. Lastly, those of us who come here demanding every rookie to be capped should also share in the blame.

[oloye]

While I don't condone fasting during participation in an intense sport like international football, I do know some players who believe that they play better on an empty stomach. Toyin Ayinla was one of them. "Washington" never played on a full stomach since he believes it makes him sick to do so. He won't even eat immediately after playing a match on empty stomach for the same reason but would rather wait for an hour or two afterwards to eat.

Many Christian players also feel the same way and do it whether or not they are undergoing religious fasting. I know a team mate who would never play a match unless his stomach is filled with ogogoro. Our coach personally supplies him a bottle free and encourages him to consume it all. The result is a possessed ball wizard who never gets tired. I tried it once and nearly died on the field. The result was the reverse for me. I was exhausted within thirty minutes and begged the coach to be subbed.

If I were a national team coach, I will not call up a player who is fasting because if anything happens to him or her while knowingly playing on an empty stomach, the coach should be held responsible for lack of professionalism. I bet you that was the reason coach Rohr kept Ahmed Musa on the bench. However, truth be told, Musa was far more spritely and better, (when he came on), than those who started ahead of him fasting or not.

Goalkeeper "Akpere" appeared to me to be exhausted from 100 years of relentless fasting, ditto Iwobi, Iheanacho, Moses Simon and, (especially), Ndidi. Every time the South Africans touched Onazi our captain, he went clutching at the ground like someone who had not eaten for 40 days and forty nights.

All the noise about Chiedozie Awaziem was only a wasted effort. His partnership with Ekong was an eyesore. While Awaziem was suspect all through the encounter, Ekong once again showed that if he's not partnered with his oyibo look alike (Balogun) in the national team, he becomes a glittery bag of rubbish.

I don't know if it was Awaziem that made Ekong so uncomfortable or if it was Ekong's gittery displays that made the inexperienced Awaziem so unreliable. Rohr should also be blamed for capping too many new players in a match versus a team like South Africa. It was a needless gamble. Lastly, those of us who come here demanding every rookie to be capped should also share in the blame.

I do not take my lunch on the day of the match, i feel lighter. Sometimes depending on how i feel i tend to skip breakfast as well or simply settle for porridge or oats. The important thing here is not the food...it is the fluid intake, since if you do not have enough of it,you may start cramping up.

Let us look at this fasting thing again...i believe muslims wake up early in the morning to eat, they eat before the sun breaks. So i dont see how this is different from someone who skips lunch like me because i want to feel light.

[oloye]

Until we know how the pros handle themselves during fasting all i see here are pure academic guesses. I played with muslim players,if anything what inconveniences them most during fasting is not the matches, rather it is when they have to travel..the rigours of match travels in Nigeria can be hectic.

As i said earlier, muslims wake up to eat. Toyin Ayinla was my room mate at BCC for over 5 years, he was a devout muslim. He would fast and play matches, this is something he has been doing since he was a kid, one can say his body has adjusted to the rigour.

Now a modern day pro, would load on carbs and whatever energy drinks he needs within the window when he can break his fast. I have observed Toyin get up at around 4-5 he would pray and the sound of plates tells me he was taking his breakfast as well. So what stops a pro from loading up on whatever energy drinks he needs and simply rest until match time? Which is what we do on match days..we do nothing other than sleep, eat meditate, jist and think of the match.

I laugh when i listen to folks go on about this issue even when they have no clue what they are talking about save for regurgitating some hypothesis. I asked again how many of our players were fasting? Musa came in he looked more energetic than the ones who ate lunch, at a point he was about to take a throw-in, i could hear him shouting at the team to move their sluggish arse forward..he was visibly angry and agitated. I spent over 13 years playing with moslems who fast during the season...like i said the only time their noble act seems to bog them down is during the travels..something which affects everyone anyway. Sitting in cramped buses travelling over 400km on bad roads on a hot dusty day will sap you fasting or not.

Whatever scientific examination that does not ask how the body of these athletes may have adapted to this period ,since they have been doing this from when they were old enough to fast is one scientific data that is deficient. There are many scientific data but not all are useful....that there is a data does not neccesarilly make it valid!

[Enugu II]

Until we know how the pros handle themselves during fasting all i see here are pure academic guesses. I played with muslim players,if anything what inconveniences them most during fasting is not the matches, rather it is when they have to travel..the rigours of match travels in Nigeria can be hectic.

As i said earlier, muslims wake up to eat. Toyin Ayinla was my room mate at BCC for over 5 years, he was a devout muslim. He would fast and play matches, this is something he has been doing since he was a kid, one can say his body has adjusted to the rigour.

Now a modern day pro, would load on carbs and whatever energy drinks he needs within the window when he can break his fast. I have observed Toyin get up at around 4-5 he would pray and the sound of plates tells me he was taking his breakfast as well. So what stops a pro from loading up on whatever energy drinks he needs and simply rest until match time? Which is what we do on match days..we do nothing other than sleep, eat meditate, jist and think of the match.

I laugh when i listen to folks go on about this issue even when they have no clue what they are talking about save for regurgitating some hypothesis. I asked again how many of our players were fasting? Musa came in he looked more energetic than the ones who ate lunch, at a point he was about to take a throw-in, i could hear him shouting at the team to move their sluggish arse forward..he was visibly angry and agitated. I spent over 13 years playing with moslems who fast during the season...like i said the only time their noble act seems to bog them down is during the travels..something which affects everyone anyway. Sitting in cramped buses travelling over 400km on bad roads on a hot dusty day will sap you fasting or not.

Whatever scientific examination that does not ask how the body of these athletes may have adapted to this period ,since they have been doing this from when they were old enough to fast is one scientific data that is deficient. There are many scientific data but not all are useful....that there is a data does not neccesarilly make it valid!

Oloye,

Thank you for the critical analysis that one has not read here so far. If you take a look at my last post, you will note that scientists have actually asked the question and found the effect negligible. I will not dabble into speculations and guesses. For me, there are possibly an ongoing debate on this issue within the scientific community but to claim that the issue is settled is a bit surprising.

[wale1974]

Excuse
All 11 Libyan players were fasting

[wale1974]

Were Iheanacho and Iwobi fasting yestetday too?

I tire o

[theYemster]

Our women's team do it and lost woefully in the world cups..our youth squads do it and same happens...I don't see how it benefits U to put yourself at physical disadvantage when religion allows U and exception in this instance

Pa J,

Football pales in comparison to religion and must take a back seat to it. It is about faith and football does not even come close.

It's not about faith rather like too many issues in Muslim society it's blatant stupidity.

its clearly stated that any Muslim can make up their fast at a later date, not a single legit doctor or trainer who would recommend anyone fasts prior to and during a intense athletic competition.

Tunisian Gooner,

It has nothing to do with stupidity. You may call it stupid but those who participate in it do not. Further, it is not just a Muslim issue. There are several Christians who fast during certain periods around Easter and it is taken seriously for those who are devout. Football pales on that issue. It does not override religion.

Religion may override football but health overrides religion.

Mu guy, forget match performance, it is stupid for the simple reason that you need food and fluids during training and match proper otherwise it's dangerous to one's health. The other day Ehiogu then Tiote just dropped dead during training for apparently no reason.

That's not to say fasting was the reason for the outcome of the match.