French national team star Ousmane Dembele to build mosque in Mauritania

(AhlulBayt News Agency) - French national team star Ousmane Dembélé, who has just won the FIFA World Cup 2018 with France, decided to cherish his roots by funding the construction of a new mosque in his country of origin, Mauritania, BESoccer reported.

According to ‘Koora’ website, Dembélé plans to build the new mosque in his mother’s village in southern Mauritania. The Muslim player’s mother is a Senegalese Mauritanian, while his father is Malian.

The French national football team defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final match of the world cup last Sunday July 15. According to the FIFA, this win granted the French team a prize of US$38 million.

The 21-year-old Dembélé plays as a forward for the Spanish club Barcelona. He won the German Cup DFB-Pokal with Borussia Dortmund in 2016-17 in addition to La Liga 2017–18 and Copa del Rey 2017–18 with Barcelona.

Furthermore, he was named the UNFP Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year 2015–16, UEFA Champions League Breakthrough XI: 2016, Bundesliga Rookie of the Season 2016–17, and Man of the match in 2017 DFB Pokal Final. That’s in addition to being named in the Bundesliga Team of the Season 2016–17.

Dembélé was first called up to the senior France squad to face Italy and Belarus in August 2016. He made his debut on 1 September against the former at the Stadio San Nicola. His first international goal with France was in a 3–2 friendly victory against England on June 13, 2017.

Mauritania, the birthplace of Dembélé, is a Muslim West African country where Islam represents about 99.9% of its four-million population, according to the CIA World Factbook.

It was trade with Muslim merchants that brought Islam into Mauritania during the 8th century. Islam is by far the largest and most influential religion in the country and has been since the 10th century.


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