Republic of Ireland winger Chiedozie Ogbene has asked the public not to place responsibility on the players amid calls to boycott the forthcoming Nations League matches against Israel.
The teams are scheduled to face each other in Debrecen, Hungary, on Sunday, with the reverse fixture taking place in Backa Topola, Serbia, on 4 October. Both matches will begin at 19:45 BST.
Since the two nations were placed together in Group B3, demands for Ireland to pull out of the fixtures have grown because of the continuing crisis in Gaza, with the ‘Stop The Game’ campaign gaining support.
Before Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Kosovo in Pristina, acting captain Dara O’Shea said the squad would hold talks on Friday to decide how to approach Sunday’s game, designated as Israel’s home fixture. Irish supporters will not attend, while the return match the following week will be played behind closed doors.
Speaking after Thursday’s defeat, Ogbene said he understood the strength of public feeling surrounding the issue.
He described the situation as complex and extremely challenging, while asking people not to expect the players to provide answers to such difficult matters.
Ogbene added that these decisions should be made by those with the authority to do so rather than being left to footballers, although the squad would discuss the matter collectively before determining its next steps.
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