Ireland: Gavin Bazunu boycott, a defender ultimately registered as a goalkeeper

It is an unexpected situation for Ireland ahead of their clash with Israel this Sunday in the Nations League.

Despite the players' majority vote in favour of going ahead with the match, Gavin Bazunu decided to continue his boycott and leave the squad. Faced with his absence, the Irish national team had to find a last-minute solution to comply with UEFA regulations. They require three goalkeepers to be included on the match sheet. And it was ultimately Jimmy Dunne, a Queens Park Rangers defender, who was registered as the third goalkeeper for this match being held in Debrecen, Hungary.

Bazunu justified his withdrawal on personal and religious grounds in a message posted on social media. “My decision is based solely on my personal conviction that killing innocent people is wrong. It is important to clarify that my position is not directed against the Israeli people or the Jewish community, but against the atrocities being committed in the region,” he wrote. Despite the tensions surrounding the fixture, the match will go ahead.

Read also: France national team: Zinédine Zidane discusses Dembélé's new role

Joshua SOSSOU

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As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

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