Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu decided not to play in Israel matches

Ireland National Team's goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu decided not to play in the UEFA Nations League matches against Israel.

In his statement on his social media accounts, Bazunu said, "Representing my country means everything to me. I have the utmost respect for my teammates, the manager, his team and the Irish people. However, I have come to a decision that I did not make lightly. I am a person of strong faith and I do my best to be a person of character and principle. Therefore, I think it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming matches against Israel."

The 24-year-old goalkeeper said, "My decision is based entirely on my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong. It is important for me to state that my attitude is not against the Israeli people or the Jewish community, but against the atrocities in the region."

"There are very few opportunities in life to take a stand for something bigger, and I firmly believe this is one of them," Bazunu concluded.

Irish Football Federation (FAI) President David Courell confirmed that a player had requested to be removed from the squad before the match against Israel and said, "One of our players conveyed his discomfort regarding the match with Israel and his intention to be removed from the squad to our coach."

Irish football players plan to wear black armbands in the UEFA Nations League match against Israel in memory of those who lost their lives in the conflict in Gaza.

Ireland National Team Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson stated that they were uncomfortable about facing Israel and said, "We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide. We are playing against Israel, not with Israel."

Ireland and Israel will meet in the UEFA Nations B League Group 3 tomorrow and on October 4, at neutral venues.