Soccer Football - International Friendly - Tunisia vs Turkey - Stade de Geneve, Geneva, Switzerland - June 1, 2018 Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul REUTERS
Tunisia coach Nabil Maaloul has confessed that his goalkeeper faked injury during the last two friendly matches in order to enable his teammates to break their Ramadan fasting.
"That is indeed my strategy. I prepared it because we have many players who are fasting." Maaloul told the BBC Tuesday.
"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.
It was noticeable that while the goalie get treatment, his teammates quickly had water, snacks and dates in the two games that ended with 2-2 draws.
Tunisia, who are training in Lausanne, will play their last warm-up friendly against Spain in Krasnodar next Saturday.
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