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Sport

Ireland beat Israel 3-0 to end fractious weekend as FAI faces resignation calls

Ireland struck three times in the first half to beat Israel 3-0 in Debrecen, ending a fraught weekend in which goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew over boycott calls and the FAI faced demands to resign.

By Tom Ellery · · 2 min read

Ireland struck three times in the first half to cruise to a 3-0 Nations League victory over Israel in Debrecen on Sunday, ending a fraught weekend for the team after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu’s withdrawal from the squad amid a dispute over whether to play the match.

Troy Parrott netted the opener in the 14th minute, Adam Idah scored two minutes later and Jack Moylan added a third in the 25th. Moylan marked his first competitive international goal by hoisting his black armband towards the corner flag, kissing it and the badge on his shirt, as supporters in the stand booed.

Ireland, among Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s war in Gaza, wore black armbands in memory of all those killed in the conflict and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem. There was no exchange of pennants or pre-match handshakes. The game went ahead only after a majority of the Irish players voted to play, and coach Heimir Hallgrimsson named defender Jimmy Dunne as the emergency third goalkeeper.

Israel’s home fixtures are being played in Hungary, and the game unfolded in a subdued atmosphere, with only a few hundred Israeli supporters and a handful of Irish fans in the 20,000-seat ground. RTE offered bare-bones coverage with no studio panel, no pundits and no advertising.

The result lifts Ireland to third in the group on three points after Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Kosovo, three behind leaders Austria. The return fixture, a nominal Irish home game moved to Serbia, is due on October 4 behind closed doors.

Despite the win, the Football Association of Ireland faces mounting pressure, with the Green Party, Sinn Fein and the Social Democrats all calling on the FAI board to consider its position. Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman said the association had “catastrophically mismanaged this situation from the outset”, while Sinn Fein’s Lynn Boylan said the FAI had “failed the players and failed to protect the players”.

Sources

More on this topic: all Sport stories

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