Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson confirms progression of second Ireland vs Israel game

Ireland coach Heimir Hallgrímsson said the team remains committed to completing both games. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson has confirmed that his side will face Israel in its second Nations League meeting on Sunday, despite the controversy surrounding the fixture and concerns raised by players about the war in Gaza.

Ireland won the first match 3-0 in Hungary on Sunday after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad the previous day. Bazunu said he could not take part in either fixture because of the deaths of innocent civilians.

The remaining players voted to go ahead with the match, and Hallgrímsson said the team remains committed to completing both games.

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“The FAI has said we are playing both games. That was our intention when we came into the camp and it is still our intention,” Hallgrímsson told reporters in Dublin.

“Our focus is on the football. It has already been decided that we will fulfil the fixtures,” he added.

Ireland will play its designated home game against Israel at a closed-door venue in Bačka Topola, Serbia, rather than in Dublin. Before that encounter, it will take on Austria in the Irish capital on Thursday.

During the opening match in Debrecen, Ireland’s players wore black armbands to remember those who have lost their lives in the Gaza conflict. They also bowed their heads while Israel’s national anthem was played in the largely empty stadium.

The usual pre-match handshake was not held, and the teams did not exchange pennants.

Hallgrímsson said Ireland would repeat those gestures in Sunday’s game, with the players again wearing black armbands and bowing their heads during Israel’s anthem.

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The fixtures have faced opposition since Ireland and Israel were placed in the same Nations League group in February. Irish sports personalities, supporters’ organisations and pro-Palestinian activists have called for the matches to be boycotted.

The Football Association of Ireland previously asked UEFA to suspend Israel, but the proposal failed to attract enough support from European football authorities. The FAI later moved Sunday’s match from Dublin to Serbia, referring to “operational challenges”.

Israel denies accusations that its military campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide. The conflict followed the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, after which Israel launched a large-scale offensive in the territory.