Ireland players again wore black armbands in recognition of Palestinians killed in Gaza and bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem before the teams’ second UEFA Nations League football match on Sunday. The League 3 Group B match ended in a 1-1 draw and, despite being played behind closed doors and on neutral ground, was once again played out in a confrontational manner. Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher stepped in as captain for Dara O’Shea, who was excused to be with his wife for the birth of their child, and pointedly avoided shaking hands with Israel captain Dor Peretz, despite completing the usual pre-match formality with the referee and one of his assistants.
Kelleher’s action was a repeat of O’Shea’s, who refused to shake Israel captain Manor Solomon’s hand before the first match in Debrecen, Hungary, last week. Ireland went on to win that game 3-0 through three first-half goals. Solomon was dropped to the bench for Sunday’s match in Backa Topola, Serbia.
Israel forward Sayed Abu Farchi was back in the squad after serving a suspension for getting sent off following his gun-simulation goal celebration during Israel’s 3-1 defeat to Austria on September 25. Finn Azaz, whose mother has Israeli heritage, was among the Irish substitutes after playing from the start against Austria on Thursday. Troy Parrott’s penalty in the 39th minute, after a foul by Peretz on Jimmy Dunne, gave Ireland a 1-0 halftime lead.
A disagreement also broke out on the sidelines as the players made their way off the field for the interval, although the referee quickly intervened. Peretz secured a point for Israel with a poked effort from close range in the 47th minute. Sunday’s game was initially supposed to be played in Dublin, but the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) moved it to a neutral venue for “operational reasons” in June following widespread calls for a boycott in protest of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.
The FAI said the game would be played with no fans present. It followed the FAI’s motion the previous November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions. All the Irish players had been under pressure from home – where affinity with Palestinians is strong – to boycott the second match against Israel, though the pressure was greater during the first game.
Ultimately, only reserve goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu decided to skip both of the contentious games, saying in a statement that it was his “personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong”. More than 160 Irish sportspeople had signed an open letter urging the FAI to reconsider its decision to go ahead with the two games. Before the departure for Hungary, people protested outside the team hotel in Dublin for the players to boycott the matches.
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