Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr has expressed concern that the Ramadan fast which ends on Thursday, two days to the Super Eagles’ opening match against Croatia could affect the performance of Abdullahi Shehu and Ahmed Musa in the game. During Ramadan, Muslims abstain from eating any food and drinking from sunrise to sunset. With the fast coming to an end barely 48 hours before his side’s World Cup opener, the German tactician noted that “For the first game, it will not be easy to put it away. The energy loss is difficult to balance in such a short time.”
Interestingly, Shehu started Nigeria’s last two games against England and Czech Republic but was substituted at half-time and is tipped to be named in the starting line-up against Croatia.