The coach of Algeria’s national soccer team, Vahid Halilhodzic, refused to divulge which of his players, will of whom are Muslims, is observing Ramadan ahead of today’s (Monday) World Cup last-16 meeting with Germany. The 30-day dawn-to-dusk fast began on Sunday and Halilhodzic was angry that journalists kept raising the subject in his pre-match news conference. “This is a private matter and when you ask this you lack respect and ethics,” said the coach, himself a Muslim from Bosnia. “The players will do as they wish and I would like to stop this controversy.” Ramadan is mandatory for Muslims and one of the five pillars of Islam, although there are exemptions for the sick, pregnant, infirm, or elderly. Many of the leading players on other teams — for example, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira of Germany; Karim Benzema, Bacary Sagna, and Paul Pogba of France; and Ahmed Musa of Nigeria —  are also Muslim, and it is not clear which one of them is observing Ramadan.