Ali Al-Hamadi and Saikou Janneh are tasked with leading the line for the Dons on the pitch, whilst off it they have an equally important responsibility.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is observed by Muslims worldwide – including our two strikers.
Many people commonly associate it with fasting, however as both Ali and Saikou explain, there is much more to Ramadan than immediately meets the eye.
Here the lads explain how they have adjusted their matchday routines, highlight the benefits, discuss moving to England and provide their thoughts ahead of our final four games of the season.
Watch the full interview below.
MATCHDAYS DURING RAMADAN
AAH: If you’re fasting for an away game, you get food brought up to your room between 3:30 to 4:00am in the morning, before the sun rises. The aim is to get as much sleep in as possible before the game starts.
The food we eat is centered around getting as many carbohydrates, protein and electrolytes as we can – that’s what you need for a game.
BENEFITS
SJ: It makes you stronger and makes you feel better. You’re different to a lot of people – you’re fasting and playing football, there’s not a lot of people that can do it.
AAH: It’s about a lot more than fasting. It’s about getting closer to God. You have to control your desires – things like not listening to music, not getting involved in gossip and not swearing. All of the other elements make it even more difficult.
SJ: It really helps to come in and see Ali is doing it too. It helps me to stay focused on it.
MOVING TO ENGLAND
AAH: It had its challenges. I moved over when I was young with two parents that were new to the country. We weren’t familiar with how everything works. We had to learn about the school system. But my family have been here for more than 20 years now, so we feel very settled.
SJ: I think it helped that I moved over here when I was a bit older. It helped me to settle quicker. I came over from Gambia – it still feels very different, I miss my friends and family. My Mum and my siblings are back there, I hope to have them over to watch a game.
FINISHING THE SEASON
AAH: We feel really drained if we’re being completely honest. Not in terms of lack of effort or motivation. We still want to win as many of these final few games as possible. The manner in which we dropped the points over the Easter weekend was difficult for us. It took a lot out of us – especially the younger players.
However we’ve had a good break and I’ve always said the gaffer is good at keeping things as positive as we can. We have to keep going until the end of the season and see where it gets us.
SJ: We’re all still looking forward to it. We have to try and win as many games as we can. It’s important to finish strongly.
OPEN TRAINING SESSION
AAH: It was good! It’s great to meet so many of the fans and give them some memories that they’ll really treasure.
SJ: It means a lot to the fans. Having that interaction is good and so important.
PICS: Pro Sports Images