Ref Stops Soccer Match to Break Ramadan Fast Because Dang, He's Hungry

You’re not you when you’re hungry, and no one knows that better than Ousseynou Gueye—the Senegalese referee who recently stopped a match in order to take a snack break.

According to ESPN, Gueye was 30 minutes into refereeing a match between Casa Sports and Yeggo when he called for a break in the action. The official then proceeded to enjoy a bit of quality “Patrick Chewing” time on the sideline.

Why now, though? Why in the middle of a game?

Gueye was literally starving and had to break his Ramadan fast.

Ramadan is the holiest month of the year for the followers of Islam, and Muslims practicing the religious fasting associated with the month have gone without food from dawn until sunset since Monday, July 8. 

The fasting is obligatory for adult practitioners of the faith, but there are exceptions for individuals in certain situations. For example, those who are traveling, pregnant or ill are allowed to eat and drink during the daylight hours.

The rules don’t appear to cover situations such as working soccer matches, however, and Gueye’s decision to halt the competition elicited a deal of lusty heckling from the crowd.

Onlookers harangued the Senegalese man and his fellow officials throughout their personal timeout, but Gueye says he truly needed the nourishment. 

“Legally, it is not possible to stop a match to break the fast,” he said after the game. “But you can enjoy a break in the game to meet a health need. The human body needs water.”

Perhaps the crowd could have gone for a snack break, too—because they become drama queens when they’re hungry. A truck full of Snickers and Capri Sun would have set this situation straight.

Haters are going to hate, Gueye.

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