Irish goalkeeper Bazunu boycotts Israel games: Killing innocent people is wrong

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the Nations League matches against Israel on grounds of conscience, while his teammates voted by a significant majority to play the fixtures.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has withdrawn from the squad for the Nations League matches against Israel. “I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle, therefore I feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel,” he said, adding that his stance was against the killing of innocent people, not the Israeli people or the Jewish community.

After a four-hour meeting at the team hotel, the players voted by a “significant majority” to fulfil the fixtures, FAI chief executive David Courell confirmed. Ireland play Israel on September 27 in Debrecen, Hungary, and on October 4 behind closed doors in Bačka Topola, Serbia.