Players fast for half a day, Indonesian team in trouble

" The players continue to fast. Regarding nutrition, we are trying our best to improve in the current difficult situation. The two matches against the Vietnamese team are very difficult and the players have to try much harder ," coach Shin Tae-yong told the media before the Indonesian team's training session.

Many of the Indonesian team's players are Muslims. They are fasting from dawn to sunset as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins. In Indonesia, Ramadan this year began on March 11 and ends on April 10.

Many Indonesian players are Muslim.

Muslims typically have two main meals: Suhoor (pre-dawn meal) and Iftar (after sunset meal). Both meals are vegetarian. In fact, Muslims' total food intake during Ramadan is often higher than usual because they eat a lot in the evening. This is necessary for each person to recharge their energy.

Due to their specific profession, players will be seriously affected physically. Many international Muslim stars such as Nicolas Anelka, Yaya Toure, Samir Nasri, Hatem Ben Arfa,... have admitted that they are prone to injuries and cannot ensure their health in matches taking place during Ramadan.

The Indonesian team is no exception. The team of thousands of islands has been affected many times by Ramadan. In 2021, coach Shin Tae-yong had to adjust the entire training schedule to late evenings, reducing the intensity of exercise so that the players could adapt to the special diet during Ramadan. This significantly affected the performance of the Indonesian team in the second qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup.

In March 2023 - also the month of Ramadan, the Indonesian team struggled and drew 2-2 at home against Burundi - a very weak team in Africa. The reason was also because the players were affected physically.

According to Indonesian press, coach Shin Tae-yong once "mobilized" the players to adjust their diet to suit the actual requirements of training. However, most of the players did not agree with this suggestion.

The Indonesian team will host the Vietnamese team at home on March 21. They will visit My Dinh Stadium on March 26.

Mai Phuong

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/cau-thu-nhin-an-uong-nua-ngay-doi-tuyen-indonesia-gap-kho-ar859600.html