Ireland proceeds with Nations League match after two player votes, Bazunu withdraws

sportsSep 27, 2026882,000

The Republic of Ireland will play their UEFA Nations League fixture against Israel in Hungary on Sunday night after a “significant majority” of the squad voted to go ahead, the FAI said. Training was delayed by five hours on Saturday while players debated the match, then a further four hours of conversations, largely among players, preceded the vote, FAI chief David Courell said. Bolton goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad in protest, saying on Instagram that as a man of faith and principle he could not participate because “the killing of innocent people is wrong” and that his stance is against the atrocities in the region rather than the Israeli people or Jewish community. The squad agreed to wear black armbands “in recognition of all the lives lost in the conflict,” and to omit elements of the pre-match ceremony, including the handshake and exchange of pennants. Republic head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson said he regretted using the word “genocide” earlier in the week, calling it “a wrong word” and adding that playing does not mean accepting what is happening. Israel team leadership read a statement congratulating Ireland on the decision, saying “football has won” and arguing that separating football from politics is necessary to avoid chaos and consequences for the game.

Saul Staniforth

@saulstaniforth.bsky.social

"Tonight Ireland will play Israel.. their goalkeeper has pulled out" Gavin Bazunu is his name. Hero.

21413d ago

~/iamroot8

Ashamed of the rest of the team.

plants-gal.bsky.social7

Well done, Gavin. Respect to you.

Trickcyclist 🦋🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇪🇺2

Shame is with the rest of the team and the the organisation body.

Úna-Minh's ✨ Open to Work ✨

@unaminh.bsky.social

We must support Gavin Bazunu for standing up against genocide. He’s being thrown under the bus with no support from his team and may be in a lonely place. Fuck the FAI and well done to Gavin for his strength. #StoptheGame #FreePalestine www.instagram.com/p/DdwuIoGRaO...

17613d ago

Jules Boykoff

@julesboykoff.bsky.social

Courage in action ➡️ Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Buzunu issues a statement on his decision to withdraw from Ireland squad for tomorrow's match against Israel: "My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong." www.independent.ie/sport/soccer...

8513d ago

Quoting this

Nathan Kalman-Lamb56

It is actually fairly shameful that his teammates were confronted with this concrete example of principle and yet chose to betray it and him anyway.

henrik13

Bra. Alle andre i Irland sin tropp bør følgje etter.

Zeroisanumber11

idk, I feel like if this were my teammate and he said this mattered to him I'd have also withdrawn from the match.

BladeoftheSun

@bladeofthes.bsky.social

Ireland is battering Israel. They might not have stopped Israel from playing this match, but they will make sure they don't play any more.

11612d ago

Ronan O'Dowd15

Bibi "Ireland is 3 months away from developing a nuclear weapon. "

Colm Kavanagh8

Unfortunately we'll have to face these bastards again on October 4. I'd rather have seen this evening's game not being played.

ꛤꛎꚶꚳ 𖦪ꚲꛎꛘ6

Judging by the match reports across social media Israel have finally taken a day off from shooting indiscriminately

aiteall.bsky.social6

Still think the Irish Republic shouldn't play these Genocide-supporting scum.

@Mary-The-Cat.bsky.social ( I'm MaryPG Keating)2

Ireland can go to Hell for legitimising this farce. I am Irish.

Slimpickins1

It's live on Amazon PPV. Bet they're glad they got this one.

Resist 🕎🍉

@antizionistjew.bsky.social

#BREAKING | Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdraws from the match against Israel

7114d ago

Quoting this

Timby28

I understand the point that the Israeli team represents their country not their government, but all the players have served in the government-directrd army. Ireland should not be playing them.

ABC News Australia

@news.abc.net.au

Ireland wears black armbands, refuses handshake with Israel before Nations League football match

6612d ago

John Gibbons 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇪🇺

@thinkorswim.bsky.social

Long after the names of the cowards and quislings in the FAI are forgotten, the name Gavin Bazunu will be remembered as a byword for courage and integrity in standing up for justice in the teeth of a savage genocide. www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer...

7013d ago

Wear The Peace

@wearthepeace.bsky.social

Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has refused to play against Israel after his team voted to go ahead with the match. Bazunu said, “I feel it would be wrong to participate,” adding that “the killing of innocent people is wrong” and that his decision was based on the “atrocities in the region.”

7513d ago

Dr Robert Bohan

@robertbohan.bsky.social

Some 5 Irish players don’t want to be complicit if they sports-wash the Israeli state by playing footsie with them. The vast majority of ppl don’t want them to. However €€€ matters to football mgmt [FAI] more than genocide of at least 75,000 Palestinians. FAI politics are money, money, money*.

6714d ago

Rob O’Connor

@roboconnor.bsky.social

The FAI reveal themselves to be spineless once again with the Ireland v Israel debacle. One way out I see now is if Ireland “play” the game, but the players just stand there on the pitch. Let Israel win 100-0. Just stand there and let the record show what a farce this is. Respect to Gavin Bazunu

6513d ago

slosho.bsky.social1

This. It would be talked about forever, with the final answer being genocide.

Louise

@selkies.bsky.social

The fact that Gavin Bazunu had to say "just me, personally, not big into huge death tolls"

6513d ago

Joe Noonan

@joenoonan.bsky.social

‘The FAI hoped to wing their way through this fortnight but today collided with its brutal reality. The fallout is only beginning. Irish football has once again shown the world the importance of leadership by its unforgivable absence.’ - Gavin Cooney @gcooney93.bsky.social

4413d ago

RTÉ News

@news.rte.ie

Opposition parties have called on Government to intervene to stop Sunday's UEFA Nations League football match between the Republic of Ireland and Israel due to the "unfair pressure players and management are currently under"

3713d ago

Martin Byrne6

Fair play to Gavin Bazunu! ##StopTheGame

John Edwards, spokesperson for the world2

The pressure on players and management may be unfair, but this is such an easy decision for them to make. Everyone supports not playing, they'd be elevated as heroes. The Irish govt would fall in line and agree with them, and support their decision. Also, they'd look weak as hell.