Gavin Bazunu pulls out of Ireland squad for Israel match on principle as Irish players vote to play

The Republic of Ireland will face Israel in Hungary on Sunday night, but goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu will not be on the pitch. The Bolton shot-stopper has withdrawn from the squad in protest, convinced that playing the fixture would go against his principles. After hours of internal debate, the Irish players agreed by a significant majority to fulfil the match while also making their unease visible through a series of gestures.

• Gavin Bazunu leaves the Ireland camp and will not play against Israel due to a personal decision based on principle.
• The Republic of Ireland squad voted by a significant majority to play the match after Saturday training was delayed by five hours.
• Irish players will wear black armbands in recognition of all lives lost in the conflict.
• Ireland will not take part in the pre-match handshake or the exchange of pennants.
• Head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson regrets describing the team as playing against genocide and clarifies his remarks.

Inside the squad vote that decided Ireland would play Israel

Saturday training was delayed by five hours as the Republic of Ireland squad discussed whether to go ahead with the match. For a full week, the team and officials had faced growing domestic pressure to consider a boycott because of Israel's military actions in Gaza. In the end, the players held a vote and a clear majority backed playing.

FAI chief executive David Courell explained that one player had told the head coach that morning he felt uncomfortable with the fixture and intended to leave the squad. That opened another four hours of conversations, mainly among the players themselves, but also involving the coaching staff and federation executives. The subsequent vote confirmed the intention to continue.

What Gavin Bazunu said about his Ireland withdrawal

Bazunu posted a statement on Instagram explaining the reasons behind his exit. The goalkeeper said representing his country means everything to him and that he has the utmost respect for his teammates, the manager, his staff and the Irish people. Still, he stressed it was a decision he had not taken lightly, and that his faith and his understanding of character and principle made it impossible for him to take part in the upcoming fixtures against Israel.

My decision is based purely on my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong. It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition of the Israeli people or the Jewish community, but against the atrocities in the region.

The goalkeeper added that there are few moments in life when a person gets the chance to stand up for something bigger, and he strongly believes this is one of them. His absence leaves Ireland without one of their regular options in goal for a match that was already surrounded by controversy before kick-off.

Black armbands and pre-match protests for the Republic of Ireland

Ireland have chosen to show their disagreement with the context of the game without refusing to play it. Courell announced that the players will wear black armbands in recognition of all the lives lost in the conflict. He also confirmed that there will be elements of the pre-match ceremony in which the Republic of Ireland will not take part, specifically the handshake and the exchange of pennants.

The approach allows the Irish team to balance their sporting commitment with a public signal of rejection of the situation in Gaza. It comes after days of internal debate and considerable pressure from different sectors of Irish society, where the conflict has generated a strong political and social response.

Heimir Hallgrímsson clarifies his genocide remarks before Israel match

Ireland head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson admitted that nobody is comfortable playing these games for many reasons. Asked about earlier comments in which he described his team as playing against genocide, he accepted he had used too strong a word and now regretted it.

The Icelander explained that what he meant to say is that by playing they are not accepting what is happening. He insisted that a player who chooses to take part in the fixture is not supporting or agreeing with anything in Gaza. According to his explanation, the team is not playing with that word, but against it.

Israel FA welcomes Ireland decision not to boycott the match

The leadership of the Israel team used their press conference to read a statement congratulating Ireland on the decision to play. The message said that football had won and argued that the separation between sport and politics must continue. According to the text, anything else spells chaos and creates consequences for the game.

The statement added that the Irish took the right decision in agreeing to play, even if it took longer than it should. Israeli officials confirmed they will take part in all pre-match formalities, with head coach Ran Ben-Shimon saying he will shake hands with Hallgrímsson.

The Saied Abu Farchi yellow card controversy Israel plans to appeal

The Israel FA also announced it will appeal both yellow cards shown to Saied Abu Farchi during Thursday's defeat to Austria. The player received a second yellow after celebrating an equaliser by uprooting the corner flag, a gesture match officials interpreted as mimicking the firing of a rifle.

Israel disputes that interpretation and argues that anyone familiar with the player knows it was an imitation of a snooker player, specifically the legendary Ken Doherty. The federation will defend that version in its appeal in an attempt to clear the player's name after an action that produced very different readings.

Frequently asked questions about Bazunu's boycott and Ireland vs Israel