Ex-Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan is among the hair offenders…

More than 40 football players have fallen foul of United Arab Emirates Football Association guidelines by sporting “unethical hair”.

Former Sunderland striker Asamoah Gyan is among those found guilty of breaching the UAEFA Disciplinary Committee rules, with his distinctive mohawk and shaved sides, according to a tweet from Middle Eastern football website Ahdaaf.

Gyan is currently on loan at Dubai-based Arabian Gulf League Side Al-Ahli from Chinese Super League club Shanghai SIPG.

The Ghanaian is one of 46 players who have supposedly received warning letters from the UAEFA about their hairstyles.

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According to the UAEFA’s disciplinary code, having an “unusual or queer haircut or colouring” is a violation which can result in a fine of up to Dhs3000, and a two-match ban.

The rules are said to derive from Islamic teachings which ban “Qaza” hairstyles, where part of the head is shaved.

However, there has been some confusion around exactly what constitutes “unethical hair”. Ahdaaf tweeted that Suhail Al-Mansoori of Al Wahda – who boasted long, curly locks – was also asked to trim his hair.

The same issue cropped up in the Saudi Arabian league in 2012, when Waleed Abdullah, a goalkeeper for Al Shabab, was famously ordered to have a pitch-side haircut when a referee took offence at his mohawk-like style.

Match officials are reportedly concerned that young fans may wish to imitate the players’ hairstyles.

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