Video: Ireland’s Moylan kisses black armband in respect for Gaza
Abdullateef Fowewe
Republic of Ireland forward Jack Moylan scored his side’s third goal and then kissed a black armband in symbolic respect for Gaza during a 3-0 UEFA Nations League victory over Israel on Sunday night.
The match, played at the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen, Hungary, saw Ireland take control early.
Troy Parrott opened the scoring in the 14th minute, Adam Idah made it 2-0 two minutes later, and Moylan completed the first-half scoring spree in the 25th minute.
Moylan drove forward from midfield and finished low into the far corner for his first competitive international goal.
After scoring, he ran toward the corner, removed the black armband worn by the Irish players, kissed it, raised it, and then kissed the Ireland crest on his shirt.
The gesture drew boos from the small contingent of Israeli supporters present.
Ireland’s players wore the black armbands in recognition of lives lost in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
They also bowed their heads during the Israeli national anthem and declined the traditional pre-match handshakes and pennant exchange.
No tickets were allocated to Irish fans, and the stadium was nearly empty, with only around 150-200 Israeli supporters and a handful of Irish supporters in attendance.
The fixture had been highly contentious in the lead-up.
The Irish squad held lengthy discussions and a vote after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew, citing the ongoing situation in Gaza.
Football Association of Ireland chief executive David Courell said a “significant majority” of players voted to play.
Manager Heimir Hallgrímsson described the preceding days as tough on the squad.
Ireland had lost their opening Nations League match 1-0 to Kosovo days earlier.
The match formed part of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League and was staged at a neutral venue due to security concerns related to the Israel-Hamas war that began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
Reports cited more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza since then.
Ireland has been among Europe’s more vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign.
Domestic campaign groups in Ireland had called for a boycott of the fixture.
