LEICESTER CITY RATINGS: Kasper Schmeichel 6 - Closed down Jairo Riedewald quickly and forced the Palace man into a mistake when clean through. Not much more the Danish goalkeeper could have done for Zaha’s opener. EPA
LEICESTER CITY RATINGS: Kasper Schmeichel 6 - Closed down Jairo Riedewald quickly and forced the Palace man into a mistake when clean through. Not much more the Danish goalkeeper could have done for Zaha’s opener. EPA
Wesley Fofana 6 - The young French defender was solid throughout the majority of the game but must learn from his mistake that allowed Zaha to run through and finish unchallenged. AFP
Wesley Fofana 6 - The young French defender was solid throughout the majority of the game but must learn from his mistake that allowed Zaha to run through and finish unchallenged. AFP
Jonny Evans 7 - Almost picked up an assist when heading a ball back from a corner, though the chance fell to the wrong man in Caglar Soyuncu who volleyed over the bar. The veteran defender hustled well when Riedewald looked certain to score and cut-out an under-hit pass intended for Benteke. EPA
Jonny Evans 7 - Almost picked up an assist when heading a ball back from a corner, though the chance fell to the wrong man in Caglar Soyuncu who volleyed over the bar. The veteran defender hustled well when Riedewald looked certain to score and cut-out an under-hit pass intended for Benteke. EPA
Caglar Soyuncu 6 - A quieter night than usual for the Turkish centre-back with Roy Hodgson’s side plotting most of their attacks down the opposite side. AFP
Caglar Soyuncu 6 - A quieter night than usual for the Turkish centre-back with Roy Hodgson’s side plotting most of their attacks down the opposite side. AFP
Timothy Castagne 7 - Stretched the play on the right for switches and his astute positioning was eventually rewarded after finding space to finish a cutback from Kelechi Iheanacho. EPA
Timothy Castagne 7 - Stretched the play on the right for switches and his astute positioning was eventually rewarded after finding space to finish a cutback from Kelechi Iheanacho. EPA
Youri Tielemans 6 - Tackled well in the middle of the park to break up potential Crystal Palace attacks but the Belgian was careless with his passing at time. EPA
Youri Tielemans 6 - Tackled well in the middle of the park to break up potential Crystal Palace attacks but the Belgian was careless with his passing at time. EPA
Wilfred Ndidi 6 - Once Palace took the lead it was unlikely to be a busy night for the Nigerian defensive midfielder. Kept the play ticking and defended without any errors. AFP
Wilfred Ndidi 6 - Once Palace took the lead it was unlikely to be a busy night for the Nigerian defensive midfielder. Kept the play ticking and defended without any errors. AFP
Luke Thomas 6 - Didn’t provide much threat down Leicester City’s left-flank with Joel Ward rarely challenged. Eventually replaced. Reuters
Luke Thomas 6 - Didn’t provide much threat down Leicester City’s left-flank with Joel Ward rarely challenged. Eventually replaced. Reuters
James Maddison 6 - Not as effective as usual and struggled against a narrow Crystal Palace defence that rarely gave the midfielder any space. A frustrating evening for the young Englishman. Reuters
James Maddison 6 - Not as effective as usual and struggled against a narrow Crystal Palace defence that rarely gave the midfielder any space. A frustrating evening for the young Englishman. Reuters
Kelechi Iheanacho 9 - The in-form man played faultlessly after creating all of Leicester’s best chances and capped off his own performance with a world-class turn and finish inside the box. AFP
Kelechi Iheanacho 9 - The in-form man played faultlessly after creating all of Leicester’s best chances and capped off his own performance with a world-class turn and finish inside the box. AFP
Jamie Vardy 6 - The Leicester forward appeared sporadically throughout the game in some good positions but couldn’t convert. Should have done better with a chance in the second-half but didn't look comfortable on his weaker left foot.
Jamie Vardy 6 - The Leicester forward appeared sporadically throughout the game in some good positions but couldn’t convert. Should have done better with a chance in the second-half but didn't look comfortable on his weaker left foot.
SUB: Ayoze Perez (Maddison, 70) 6 - The Spanish attacker helped support Leicester counter-attacks once the Foxes took the lead. AFP
SUB: Ayoze Perez (Maddison, 70) 6 - The Spanish attacker helped support Leicester counter-attacks once the Foxes took the lead. AFP
SUB: Marc Albrighton (Thomas, 70) 6 - Stretched the play well down the right flank which gave Kelechi Iheanacho a chance to get on the ball to isolate Scott Dann for the goal. EPA
SUB: Marc Albrighton (Thomas, 70) 6 - Stretched the play well down the right flank which gave Kelechi Iheanacho a chance to get on the ball to isolate Scott Dann for the goal. EPA
CRYSTAL PALACE RATINGS: Vicente Guaita 6 - Closed the angle down well when Vardy broke through early but couldn’t do much about either goal. Let down by his defence. AFP
CRYSTAL PALACE RATINGS: Vicente Guaita 6 - Closed the angle down well when Vardy broke through early but couldn’t do much about either goal. Let down by his defence. AFP
Joel Ward 6 - Awareness could have been better at times with runs in behind but Ward didn’t allow much space down the right-hand side. Reuters
Joel Ward 6 - Awareness could have been better at times with runs in behind but Ward didn’t allow much space down the right-hand side. Reuters
Cheikhou Kouyate 5 - Struggled when isolated with Vardy and should have done much better when dealing with a ball that led to Leicester’s equaliser. Reuters
Cheikhou Kouyate 5 - Struggled when isolated with Vardy and should have done much better when dealing with a ball that led to Leicester’s equaliser. Reuters
Scott Dann 5 - Didn’t do enough when called upon and allowed Kelechi Iheanacho to turn too easily inside the box for Leicester’s second. Palace’s centre-backs were punished for conceding too many chances against the Foxes' dangerous front two. AFP
Scott Dann 5 - Didn’t do enough when called upon and allowed Kelechi Iheanacho to turn too easily inside the box for Leicester’s second. Palace’s centre-backs were punished for conceding too many chances against the Foxes' dangerous front two. AFP
Patrick Van Aanholt 6 - Blocked well from a Wilfred Ndidi shot in the first half but the Dutch full-back should have got forward more with plenty of space down the side of Leicester’s back three. Reuters
Patrick Van Aanholt 6 - Blocked well from a Wilfred Ndidi shot in the first half but the Dutch full-back should have got forward more with plenty of space down the side of Leicester’s back three. Reuters
Jordan Ayew 6 - The Ghanaian had little of the ball with the majority of Crystal Palace attacks coming through Zaha and Eze. Worked hard to support Joel Ward on defence but never looked to be a threat going forward. AFP
Jordan Ayew 6 - The Ghanaian had little of the ball with the majority of Crystal Palace attacks coming through Zaha and Eze. Worked hard to support Joel Ward on defence but never looked to be a threat going forward. AFP
Luka Milivojevic 6 - Broke up play well when Leicester moved into dangerous areas and made the game difficult for Leicester’s talisman in James Maddison. Didn’t do enough when transitioning the play into the attack. Reuters
Luka Milivojevic 6 - Broke up play well when Leicester moved into dangerous areas and made the game difficult for Leicester’s talisman in James Maddison. Didn’t do enough when transitioning the play into the attack. Reuters
Jairo Riedewald 5 - An overzealous tackle got the midfielder into the book early and the Dutchman squandered Crystal Palace’s best chance of the game when failing to put any real pace on a cutback for Christian Benteke. AFP
Jairo Riedewald 5 - An overzealous tackle got the midfielder into the book early and the Dutchman squandered Crystal Palace’s best chance of the game when failing to put any real pace on a cutback for Christian Benteke. AFP
Eberechi Eze 7 - The young midfielder was at the heart of the majority of Crystal Palace’s meaningful attacks and is developing a good partnership with Wilfried Zaha. Eze put the ball on a plate for the Palace opener. AFP
Eberechi Eze 7 - The young midfielder was at the heart of the majority of Crystal Palace’s meaningful attacks and is developing a good partnership with Wilfried Zaha. Eze put the ball on a plate for the Palace opener. AFP
Christian Benteke 6 - A constant threat in the air winning the majority of aerial duels and vital in Palace’s goal which saw the Belgian begin the Palace counter-attack with a strong tackle. The target man should have done much better with a header that was directed straight at the goalkeeper in the second half. AFP
Christian Benteke 6 - A constant threat in the air winning the majority of aerial duels and vital in Palace’s goal which saw the Belgian begin the Palace counter-attack with a strong tackle. The target man should have done much better with a header that was directed straight at the goalkeeper in the second half. AFP
Wilfried Zaha 7 - The Palace dangerman timed his run to perfection to get onto the end of Eberechi Eze’s pass before finishing calmly past Kasper Schmeichel. Isolated for the majority of the game. Reuters
Wilfried Zaha 7 - The Palace dangerman timed his run to perfection to get onto the end of Eberechi Eze’s pass before finishing calmly past Kasper Schmeichel. Isolated for the majority of the game. Reuters
SUB: Andros Townsend (Ayew, 78) N/A - Not enough time to make an impact as Leicester left little time for Palace’s to attack to reply. AFP
SUB: Andros Townsend (Ayew, 78) N/A - Not enough time to make an impact as Leicester left little time for Palace’s to attack to reply. AFP
SUB: James McCarthy (Milivojevic, 83) N/A - A strange substitution by Roy Hodgson given Leicester City had taken the lead three minutes earlier. EPA
SUB: James McCarthy (Milivojevic, 83) N/A - A strange substitution by Roy Hodgson given Leicester City had taken the lead three minutes earlier. EPA
SUB: Jeffrey Schlupp (Riedewald, 85) N/A - Helped provide pace to a tiring Palace attack but there wasn’t enough time for the midfielder to make a difference. EPA
SUB: Jeffrey Schlupp (Riedewald, 85) N/A - Helped provide pace to a tiring Palace attack but there wasn’t enough time for the midfielder to make a difference. EPA

Football

Wesley Fofana thanks Premier League after Leicester v Crystal Palace game is halted so he could break Ramadan fast

Stoppage was agreed pre-match with referee and is thought to be the first time it has happened in league's history

The National

April 28, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana has thanked the English Premier League for allowing him to break his fast during Ramadan in the middle of a match.

Leicester's game against Crystal Palace on Monday evening was briefly stopped in the first half to allow Fofana and Palace defender Cheikhou Kouyate to take a drink after the sun had gone down.

During the month of Ramadan, which runs from April 12 to May 12 this year, fasting Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours.

“That’s what makes football wonderful,” Fofana said in a post on Twitter after the match in which he thanked the league as well as Palace, and Palace goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, who delayed taking a goal kick on the half-hour mark to allow the fast to be broken.

The stoppage was agreed pre-match with referee Graham Scott. It is thought to be the first time it has happened in Premier League history.

Fofana was substituted during the second half of Leicester’s win over West Bromwich Albion last week to allow him to rest and take on food. Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers described the defender’s performances as “remarkable” considering the circumstances.

“I’ve worked with lots of players with devotion to their faiths and for a lot of the guys it gives them strength,” Rodgers said after the West Brom game.

“He’s finding an incredible strength to play continuously and train during Ramadan. He’s a special talent and a big player for us.”

Monday's move won praise from the Muslim community, with Ismail Bhamji – managing director and founder of Muslim Chaplains in Sport – one of those who was impressed.

"It's not something the Premier League had to do," Bhamji, 36, told the PA news agency.

"By doing this they have set a very good precedent in sending a message of what the Premier League is actually doing in facilitating and accommodating for players of different faiths.

"It's a very kind, lovely message from the Premier League to allow this to happen, and the clubs which were involved as well.

"They've gone out of their way to show their support for the Muslim player and I'm hopeful they will do this for other players if they request this as well."

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Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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