On Tuesday, French club Nantes coach Antoine Kombouare excluded his Algerian player, Joan Hajjam, again after the latter refused to break his fast on match days, a day before the French Cup semi-final against Lyon.
Nantes will face Lyon in the French Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, with the winner playing with the winner from the Toulouse-Anse match.
Compuare announced the list of participating players on Wednesday, which was devoid of Joan Hajjam’s name again, so the coach said in the press conference for the meeting: When the month of Ramadan ends, Hajjam will return to the list.
Hajjam was excluded for the first time from Nantes’ list in the team’s regular match, which he lost 3-0 from Reims, and at that time Comporay justified his exclusion of the player by saying: There is no controversy about Joan’s exclusion. I support those who fast, but on match days you must not fast. It is not a punishment, but I am the one who sets the laws and it is his choice and I respect him.
Hajjam has been playing for Nantes since last January with a contract that extends to 2027. He also chose to play for the Algerian national team at the expense of the French last March and participated in his first international match against Niger on the return leg, in which the team won with the goal of Baghdad Bounedjah.
