On Sunday night, at the Nations Cup in Los Angeles, Jonathan David scored a goal in the second half to boost Canada up 2-1 over the USA.
That pass he received to set up the strike was from the 24-year old midfielder Ali Ahmed. Ahmed found David in the box and the goal pushed the team ahead to give Canada a third-place finish in the tournament ahead of the Americans.
Ahmed is not new to passing, scoring or helping the Canadian men’s team to perform well at the highest echelons of intense competition.
What’s more compelling is what is missing from Ahmed and his teammate, Ismaël Koné: food and water. Ahmed and Koné are Muslim and are currently observing the month of Ramadan which began February 28 and is expected to end March 30.
Muslims wake up before the sun rises to eat a meal and offer prayers. They refrain from food and drink (no, not even water) until sunset. But the month is not only about not eating or drinking. It’s a month that emphasizes spiritual rejuvenation, intense inflection, patience, giving charity, community connection and most of all, worship.
I spoke with Ahmed via Zoom after Canada lost to Mexico 2-0 in the semifinal and he explained why he chooses to fast —even during important matches.
WATCH | Jonathan David scores winner against U.S.:
Canada defeated U.S. 2-1 Sunday to claim third place at the CONCACAF Nations League after Jonathan David’s goal stood up as the winner in Los Angeles.
“Ramadan, obviously, it’s a pillar of Islam, but Islam is a big, big foundation of my life,” he told me. “I’m used to it too. I’ve been playing while fasting, and funny enough, in Ramadan, I actually tend to have my best performances. Whether it’s in training or in games. So it’s honestly never a thought (to) not fast.”
Ahmed said his first appearance for his MLS club team, the Vancouver Whitecaps, came in April 2022 while he was fasting. He scored and he assisted during that match and continued to start for the team during Ramadan. His play was so sharp that his teammates began to call him “Ramadan Ali”. When the month was over they suggested he keep fasting because his performance had been so good.
Ahmed recalls there were initially questions and some doubts. “Yo, you sure you can handle this?,” he said his teammates asked him. “Like, this is insane. Like, this is nuts! No food? No fluid? No drink? And you’re kicking off just when you’re allowed to eat? Like, we don’t know.” But he told them to trust him. And they did.
The reality is that going without food and water at high-level athletic performance is not easy. It isn’t supposed to be easy. That’s the point. You’re supposed to feel what it’s like for others to go without food.
Yes, professional athletes have resources, like dietary scientists and staff to help them navigate. There is so much research and information available now. And these players are not fasting for the first time. They know their bodies, they know the mental and physical demands of fasting and playing. Ahmed, like many athletes, skips the team meals and must nap on match days. Getting extra sleep helps the body recover and be as rested as possible for high performance.
For many Muslim athletes, not fasting is not a consideration. Leagues are starting to get on board as well. In England, matches in the FA Cup will have a short pause for players. They’ve implemented this short break so that the players can take a few minutes, have a date (traditional food with which to break fast) or energy drinks, water and some fruits. Ahmed also likes to eat a small energy bar to sustain him. If there is enough time after warm-up before the match begins, Ahmed will pray in a room in the stadium. These arrangements are all made by the team staff.
“Even yesterday at the stadium, we kicked off at 7:30 p.m. and the sunset was at 7:04 – 7:05 and the staff were trying to prepare a room for me and Koné to pray,” he said. “And the food that we’ve been getting at suhoor (pre-dawn meal) has been amazing. And it’s beautiful to see, it’s lovely to see the support we have. Them making it easy for us and allowing us to be who we are and practise our faith while being professionals is amazing.”
Another bonus for Ahmed is having a teammate that is fasting with him. On the national team, he and Koné fast together, and at the Whitecaps, he and centreback Belal Halbouni connect over this important time.
“It’s definitely a topic we talk about a lot,” he said. “You know, what we have for suhoor or we talk with the nutritionist here. They help us a lot, whether it’s in Vancouver, or here, they help us. And talking to Koné and Belal about the difficulties sometimes, it’s definitely nice for me to have someone here, and someone in my club team doing it with me. And it helps. I don’t have to answer all the questions, too.”
My son plays volleyball at university and two of his teammates are Muslim and they live together. They take meals together, go to the mosques together and help each other with meal prep or waking up early in the morning. They have another teammate who is not Muslim but who is supportive and encouraging.
University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers reportedly wakes up to prepare a meal for her teammate Jana El Alfy during Ramadan. This kindness and generosity goes a long way in camaraderie and in the spirit of sport.
To share a unique experience of high-performance while observing Ramadan is special. Ahmed loves Ramadan and was grinning as he spoke to me about it. He enjoys this month tremendously and it is magnified because he gets to share his experience with others. Ramadan may be about personal discipline and focus but Islam is a faith that draws heavily on community strength and connection. Being alone during Ramadan can be very isolating, particularly when most of the people around you are not familiar with your customs or traditions. Ahmed is appreciative of the support from the team and seizes the opportunity he has to practise his faith the way he wants and doesn’t mind the questions.
“It’s every year, and it’s every time, it’s the ‘No water?’ part,” he said with a laugh. “Every year it’s just, like, ‘You sure? You can’t drink water? You can’t drink water? Oh, wow.’
No water, just wins. That’s what Ahmed’s Ramadan is about.
