Ismaili players will fast when they take on Nigeria's Heartland in a crucial African Champions League tie on Sunday afternoon despite coach Mark Wotte's worries. The Dutchman said it would be difficult for his players to fast when they face Heartland away from home at 4:00 PM Cairo local time due to the hot temperature. Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during the holy month of Ramadan. Ismaili and Heartland will lock horns on the 19th day of the month. "All the players are determined not to break their fast in the game," Ismaili board member Atef Zayed told FilGoal.com on Saturday. "Wotte is worried the players might be affected by that but they assured him there won't be any problems. The weather conditions are also improving. "The only obstacle for us will be the poor state of the pitch." Ismaili have three points from three games, six behind Group B leaders JS Kabylie of Algeria and one adrift of second-placed and arch rivals Ahli. Heartland, whom Ismaili defeated 1-0 at home via a bizarre goal after a dreadful blunder from the keeper, lie at the bottom with just one point. The group winners and runners-up will qualify for the Champions League semi final. A win for Ismaili over last season's runners-up Heartland will boost their hopes of booking a last-four berth for the first time since 2003 when they lost to fellow Nigerian team Enyimba in the final.
