Ramadan: Super Eagles Star's Clubmate Leaves National Team Squad Over Fasting Ban

• The French Football Federation has sparked controversy by reportedly forcing Mahamadou Diawara to depart national team camp
• Legit.ng reports that Diawara is a clubmate of Gift Orban, the 21-year-old Super Eagles of Nigeria striker
• Diawara, a midfielder, was recently spotted training with Lyon, raising questions about whether he is still part of the French under-19 team

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering sports and football.

Paris, France - Lyon star, Mahamadou Diawara has left the French Under-19 (B-19) squad.

As reported by The New Straits Times, this was after Diawara disagreed with the new regulations of the French Football Federation (FFF) that prohibit Muslim players from fasting during Ramadan while training with the national squad.

According to Instant Foot, via @Djamel, Diawara was removed from the squad list because he declined to halt his fasting, with some players said to have been informed of the decision before arriving at the training camp.

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ESPN noted that the FFF have confirmed Diawara's return to his club and have called up Nantes' Dehmaine Tabibou Assoumani as his replacement.

Every French national team head coach, from U16 boss Lionel Rouxel to senior head coach Didier Deschamps, told their players the new rules at the start of the international break.

An agent representing several players in the French youth and senior squads was quoted to have said:

"Some players are not happy with this decision.

"They believe that their religion is not respected and that they are not respected either. Some don't want to cause a fuss but Mahamadou was not happy with it so he left."

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Robinho to serve prison term

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Brazilian judges have ruled to uphold former Manchester City and Seleção forward Robinho’s sexual offence conviction.

The court said that Robinho must serve his nine-year prison sentence in Brazil.

The trial in Brazil’s Superior Court of Justice, the country’s top court for non-constitutional matters, had a majority rule that Italy’s decision was valid in the South American country.

Source: Legit.ng