{UAH} Tunisia football coach responds to criticism for reading Quran at World Cup match

Mr Rajab Ali, Afuwa/ Mayimuna/ Semuwemba/ Edward Mo irundrua/ Ahmed katerega

Reading the Koran seems not to have helped the Tunisian Team- infact Allah completely ignored their prayers as Tunisia sufferred the ignominy of being the first team to be knocked out of the World Cup at the group stages. I have constantly written about the idiocy of prayers, and this is clear vindication. Action and conviction, not prayers, is what is needed in any success, and the Tunisians are learning this too late, to their cost.

Bobby

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Homepage : News : Tunisia football coach responds to criticism for reading Quran at World Cup match

The New Arab

Tunisia football coach responds to criticism for reading Quran at World Cup match

A video of the team reading the fatiha gained traction on social media [Getty]

Date of publication: 23 June, 2018

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The head coach of Tunisia's football team has responded after facing criticism for reading Quranic verses with players before a game at the World Cup in Russia.

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Tunisia, football, World Cup.

The head coach of Tunisia's football team has responded after facing criticism for reading Quranic verses with players before a game at the World Cup in Russia.

Nabil Maaloul made the strong retort in an interview with Tunisian state-run television on Wednesday.

"I have one thing to say in regards to the criticism… anyone who has attacked me for reading the fatiha needs to seek medical treatment for themselves," Maaloul said, referring to the first chapter of the Islamic holy book.

"We have grown up with the Quran and the fatiha. When we had exams in school our mothers would read the chapter for us. The fatiha is said in all of our prayers from dawn until dusk," the coach added.

A video of Maaloul and his team reading the fatiha in the changing rooms ahead of their first World Cup game against England gained traction on social media last week.

Mukhtar al-Halfawi - a local media pundit - lashed out at the team after they lost the match and said them reading the religious verses was an act of "witchcraft and superstition".

Tunisia faces off against Belgium on Saturday in a match that will determine if the Carthage Eagles will be the only Arab team to make it into the second round of the tournament.

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