Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has released a statement explaining his decision not to play for his country in tomorrow night’s game against Israel.The 24-year-old, who represents Championship side Bolton Wanderers at club level, has decided he felt he could not play in this game, despite his teammates voting for the match to go ahead after internal squad discussions.Gavin Bazunu’s statement on refusing to play vs IsraelBazunu said: “Representing my country means everything to me. I have the utmost respect for every single one of my team-mates, the manager, his staff and the Irish people.“However I have reached a decision that I have not taken lightly. I am a man of strong faith and try my best to be a person of character and principle therefore I feel it would be wrong to participate in the upcoming fixtures against Israel.“My decision is based purely upon my personal belief that the killing of innocent people is wrong.Gavin Bazunu (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)“It is important to note that my stance is not in opposition of the Israeli people or the Jewish community but against the atrocities in the region.“There are few times where you get a chance in life to stand up for something bigger and I strongly believe that this is one of them.”Ireland to play Israel in Nations LeagueIreland’s game away to Israel tomorrow will still go ahead, but it’s certainly quite the statement by Bazunu to boycott the game, and it’s fair to say it hasn’t led to the friendliest atmosphere ahead of the match.Israel head of communications Shlomi Barzel has hit out at Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, accusing him of ignorance and hypocrisy, which he insisted he would not apologise for.More Stories / Latest News“I strongly believe…” – Ireland goalkeeper releases statement on decision to boycott Israel gameSep 26 2026, 21:17Video: Anthony Gordon & Harry Kane score quickfire double for England to stun SpainSep 26 2026, 20:48Video: Lamine Yamal pounces on awful error to make it England 0-1 SpainSep 26 2026, 20:07There have also been reports in the Irish Independent about the Ireland players possibly refusing to shake hands with the Israel players before the game.This is not the first time that Israel’s participation in football tournaments has caused controversy, with BBC Sport previously reporting on calls to ban the country after the United Nations declared that they were committing war crimes in Gaza.The post “I strongly believe…” – Ireland goalkeeper releases statement on decision to boycott Israel game appeared first on CaughtOffside.