Former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan has been fined by the UAE Football Association for having “unethical hair”.
Ghana international Gyan, 31, is contracted to Shanghai SIPG but is currently in the midst of a loan spell at Al Ahli.
He has fallen foul of local rules, however, apparently due to his mohawk style of hair. Some interpretations of Islam deem that ‘Qaza’ styles of haircuts, which leave part of the head shaved but other parts unshaven, are banned.
Gyan is not alone in being fined for falling foul of this custom, with more than 40 players in a similar position to him.
It is not the first time that haircuts have caused controversy in the Gulf region, with Waleed Abdullah, a goalkeeper for Saudi Arabia, having been told to chop his “un-Islamic” locks before turning out for Al Shabab.
The guidelines surrounding hair appear to be unclear, with website Ahdaaf tweeting the below picture highlighting the strange nature of the situation.
Asian Football of the Year Omar Abdulrahman, pictured left, was not deemed to have breached the code, but Suhail Al-Mansoori on the right was.
Official: Omar's hairstyle is exempt from new law, despite other players in the league with similar hairstyles having to abide by it.
— Ahdaaf (@ahdaafme) February 14, 2017
On the left: Omar Abdulrahman exempt from haircut law.
— Ahdaaf (@ahdaafme) February 14, 2017
On the right: Suhail Al-Mansoori of @AlWahdaFCC before he had to cut his hair. pic.twitter.com/20oE0g2Frg
