Footballer Gavin Bazunu is being hailed as a hero following his decision to withdraw from Ireland’s squad to face Israel in a UEFA Nations League match, which has been a point of contention between the Irish public and football officials since its confirmation in February.
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which → hail → February
Bazunu, who has been the Republic of Ireland’s first-choice goalkeeper in recent games, posted a statement on his social media accounts on Saturday, saying he felt “it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel”.
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Subsequently, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) announced that the 24-year-old would be replaced in the squad for Sunday’s fixture, which will be the first of two games that Ireland will play against Israel in a period of eight days.
Bazunu’s public stance to opt out of the game has been hailed by football fans, former Irish footballers, politicians, and pro-Palestine activists.
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stance → post → fans
Al Jazeera breaks down the background to his withdrawal, the reaction to it, and the FAI’s decisions leading up to the match:
Who is Gavin Bazunu?
The six-foot-two-inch (1.88m) goalkeeper is a Dublin-born footballer of Irish and Nigerian descent, who rose through the ranks of Ireland’s youth football system to become the country’s first-choice shot-stopper.
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who → break → system
Nigerian on his father’s side, Bazunu was part of Ireland’s age-group teams from the under-15 level before making his senior team debut as a teenager in 2021.
Bazunu’s brilliance in goal was spotted by English Premier League giants Manchester City, who signed him for their academy, where he played for three years.
According to reports in Irish media, Nigerian football officials were keen on signing Bazunu to their national squad, but the player pledged allegiance to the country of his birth.
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player → make → birth
He has represented Ireland in 22 international fixtures over the past five years and wears the goalkeeper’s preferred number one shirt for the country.
What happened to Gavin Bazunu and what did he say?
Bazunu found himself at the centre of a row involving Ireland’s match against Israel, which is part of the Nations League competition held by European football’s governing body, UEFA.
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which → represent → body
After the FAI confirmed that it would participate in the match despite months-long calls for a boycott due to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Bazunu became the only player to publicly opt out of the fixture.
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Bazunu → confirm → fixture
He withdrew from both legs of the fixture, scheduled on Sunday in Debrecen, Hungary, and on October 4 in Backa Topola, Serbia.
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He → withdraw → Topola
Bazunu has not participated in the squad’s training at the Nagyerdei Stadion since the team arrived in Hungary.
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team → participate → Hungary
He posted a statement on his social media account confirming his withdrawal, saying:
“Representing my country means everything to me.
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Representing → post → me
I have the utmost respect for every single one of my teammates, the manager, his staff, and the Irish people.
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I → have → teammates
However, I have reached a decision that I have not taken lightly.
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I → reach → that
I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle.
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I → try → character
Therefore, I feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel.
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it → feel → Israel
My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.
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killing → base → people
It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition to the Israeli people or the Jewish community, but against the atrocities in the region.
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stance → note → region
There are few times in life when you get a chance to stand up for something bigger, and I strongly believe that this is one of them.
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this → be → them
Former Irish footballer and manager Brian Kerr voiced strong support for the goalkeeper and directed his anger towards the FAI for proceeding with the fixture despite months-long protests in Ireland.
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Kerr → voice → Ireland
“It’s a very legitimate position for him to take,” Kerr told Irish broadcaster Virgin Media Sport on Saturday.
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Kerr → ’ → Saturday
“It’s a heroic decision,” he said of Bazunu’s call.
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he → ’ → call
The 73-year-old revealed his communication with the goalkeeper, saying Bazunu was “feeling quite low and shunned by some of the players and the FAI”.
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Bazunu → reveal → players
“It has been suggested to him that it would be better if he left the squad, which I think is disgraceful because there’s a game against Austria to be played, and why shouldn’t he be involved in that game?”
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he → suggest → game
Ireland play Austria on Thursday in their third Nations League game of the international football window.
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Ireland → play → window
Kerr also revealed that Bazunu was kept out of the FAI’s meeting with the players earlier on Saturday, when a vote was taken on the Israel game.
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vote → reveal → game
“He wasn’t involved in the vote.
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He → involve → vote
They presumed and they knew his vote and didn’t bring him into discussions, which is sad.”
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which → presume → discussions
Meanwhile, politicians, football fans, and Palestinian activists have also lauded Bazunu’s call to sit out of the game and go public with his sentiment.
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politicians → laud → sentiment
“Well done to Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu for taking the principled decision to withdraw from the game against Israel,” said Jeremy Corbyn, former leader of the United Kingdom’s Labour Party.
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Corbyn → do → Party
“He should never have been put in this position, but he has shown immense moral courage and integrity by doing the right thing in the face of genocide,” Corbyn, who is a human rights and Palestinian rights advocate, wrote on X.
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who → put → genocide
Sayeeda Warsi, British Muslim politician and Member of the UK’s House of Lords, commended Bazunu.
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Warsi → commend → Bazunu
“Taking a principled stand is a hard decision to take but the easiest one to live with,” she wrote in a social media post.
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she → take → post
Earlier this month, Mary Lou McDonald, leader of Ireland’s main opposition party, Sinn Fein, also called for the FAI to “do the right thing by its players” by telling them not to take the field.
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FAI → call → field
Irish actor and pro-Palestine activist Liam Cunningham said the FAI and UEFA “passed the buck” on the row surrounding the fixture and lambasted their move to leave the decision to Bazunu.
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FAI → say → Bazunu
“The man is a hero!” he said of the goalkeeper.
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he → say → goalkeeper
Palestinian activist and journalist Abubakr Abed said Bazunu’s stance “means the world to the players of Gaza”.
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stance → say → Gaza
Ireland-based pro-Palestine rights group Irish Sport for Palestine termed the decision “a colossal failure” in a statement following Saturday’s confirmation.
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group → base → confirmation
“If they let this game go ahead, they will have let the bullies win.
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bullies → let → ?
Symbolic gestures won’t cut it.
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gestures → cut → it
Ireland will support you.”
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Ireland → support → you
Who will replace Bazunu in Ireland’s squad?
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Who → replace → squad
While Caoimhin Kelleher and Max O’Leary are the other goalkeepers in Ireland’s squad, head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has named outfield defender Jimmy Dunne as one of two reserve goalkeepers since UEFA rules require three goalkeepers to be named in the squad.
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rules → name → squad
…and 32 more, not listed.
The Aporia
