Watch: Referee stops play to allow Mainz's Moussa Niakhate to break Ramzan fast

26-year-old Niakhate has been observing fast, the nine month of Islamic calender, where individuals don't eat/drink during daylight. Later after the match, Niakhate thanked the referee for allowing him to break his fast and hydrate himself during the match.

Augsburg (Germany): In a first, a Bundesliga match between Mainz and Augsburg came to a halt last week, a move by referee Matthias Jollenbeck in the 65th minute, to allow Mainz defender Moussa Niakhate to break his fast during Ramzan. 26-year-old Niakhate has been observing fast, the nine month of Islamic calender, where individuals don't eat/drink during daylight. This was the first time that a German match came to a stop for a player to break his/her fast.

• For the first time in history, a Bundesliga game was stopped for so that a Muslim player could break his fast during the match.
  
  In the game between Augsburg and Mainz 05, the referee stopped the game at sunset so Moussa Niakhaté could take some fluids.
  
  pic.twitter.com/JcW907aBLh

  — HD Football (@hdfootballl) April 12, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  For the first time in history, a Bundesliga game was stopped for so that a Muslim player could break his fast during the match.
  
  In the game between Augsburg and Mainz 05, the referee stopped the game at sunset so Moussa Niakhaté could take some fluids.
  
  pic.twitter.com/JcW907aBLh

  — HD Football (@hdfootballl) April 12, 2022

  ">

  For the first time in history, a Bundesliga game was stopped for so that a Muslim player could break his fast during the match.
  
  In the game between Augsburg and Mainz 05, the referee stopped the game at sunset so Moussa Niakhaté could take some fluids.
  
  pic.twitter.com/JcW907aBLh

  — HD Football (@hdfootballl) April 12, 2022

Niakhate was seen drinking, presumptively water or a sports drink, from two bottles while having a conversation with Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner. He then thanked the referee for allowing him to break his fast and refresh himself during the match. Niakhate was seen running to the referee, Jollenbeck, for a handshake.

• In der vorigen Woche wurde erstmals ein Bundesligaspiel unterbrochen, damit ein muslimischer Spieler kurz nach Sonnenuntergang sein Fasten während des Ramadans brechen konnte. Ein Beispiel, das Schule machen könnte.
  
  ➡️ https://t.co/5hpY9bjTId pic.twitter.com/YUwwJspLYr

  — Deutschlandfunk Sport (@DLF_Sport) April 11, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  In der vorigen Woche wurde erstmals ein Bundesligaspiel unterbrochen, damit ein muslimischer Spieler kurz nach Sonnenuntergang sein Fasten während des Ramadans brechen konnte. Ein Beispiel, das Schule machen könnte.
  
  ➡️ https://t.co/5hpY9bjTId pic.twitter.com/YUwwJspLYr

  — Deutschlandfunk Sport (@DLF_Sport) April 11, 2022

  ">

  In der vorigen Woche wurde erstmals ein Bundesligaspiel unterbrochen, damit ein muslimischer Spieler kurz nach Sonnenuntergang sein Fasten während des Ramadans brechen konnte. Ein Beispiel, das Schule machen könnte.
  
  ➡️ https://t.co/5hpY9bjTId pic.twitter.com/YUwwJspLYr

  — Deutschlandfunk Sport (@DLF_Sport) April 11, 2022

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Meanwhile, others who are observing fast include Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema, who observed fast for the entire day even as he scored a hat-trick against Chelsea during the Champions League match. The director of communications for the German Referee Committee, Lutz Michael Frohlich, has allowed the referees to pause the match so that the players are able to break their fast during Ramzaan. "There is no general instruction in this regard, but of course we support our referees allowing such drinking breaks during Ramadan at the request of the players," he was quoted by a media outlet as saying.

• Amazing moment in the Bundesliga. Play is stopped to allow Moussa Niakhaté, a Senegalese-French Muslim, to break his Ramadan fast 👏. https://t.co/yXTjy2CnYr

  — Ciarán Ó Meachair (@CiaranOMeachair) April 11, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Amazing moment in the Bundesliga. Play is stopped to allow Moussa Niakhaté, a Senegalese-French Muslim, to break his Ramadan fast 👏. https://t.co/yXTjy2CnYr

  — Ciarán Ó Meachair (@CiaranOMeachair) April 11, 2022

  ">

  Amazing moment in the Bundesliga. Play is stopped to allow Moussa Niakhaté, a Senegalese-French Muslim, to break his Ramadan fast 👏. https://t.co/yXTjy2CnYr

  — Ciarán Ó Meachair (@CiaranOMeachair) April 11, 2022

The video soon started trending on social media with multiple fans praising the referee for the gesture and coming out in complete support of allowing Muslim players to break their fast during the holy month of Ramzan. On the match front, home side Augsburg defeated Mainz 2-1 last week.

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In the past few days, there have been other instances where referees have allowed players to hydrate themselves to break their fast. The game where RB Leipzig registered a 3-0 victory over Hoffenheim on Sunday saw referee Bastian Dankert allowing Mohamed Siamakan to drink fluids during the match.

Among other instances were the last season's match between Leicester and Crystal Palace at the King Power Stadium where Foxes defender Wesley Fofana and Eagles midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate were allowed to break their fast during Ramzan.