Ogbene asks fans not to 'put the pressure on us' over Israel fixtures

Republic of Ireland winger Chiedozie Ogbene has urged the public not to "put the pressure on us" over the growing campaign in Ireland to boycott the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel.

Ogbene made the plea after Thursday's 1-0 defeat by Kosovo in Pristina, saying the squad are aware of public feeling but warning that decisions of this nature cannot be left to players. "There are people who can make the decisions and you can't rely on footballers to make those decisions," he said, adding the group would meet to consider its approach.

WHAT HAPPENED
- The sides are due to meet in Debrecen, Hungary on Sunday, with the return fixture scheduled for 4 October in Backa Topola, Serbia; both matches are listed for 19:45 BST. The Sunday match will have no Irish fans in attendance and the return is due to be played behind closed doors.
- Stand-in captain Dara O'Shea confirmed the players would meet on Friday to discuss their approach to the Sunday 'home' game for Israel.
- On the pitch in Pristina, Heimir Hallgrimsson's side lost 1-0. Ireland had limited chances, goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher made several saves, Kosovo efforts were cleared off the line and Vedat Muriqi scored seven minutes from time. Ogbene was off-target with a big opening in the first half.

CONTEXT
- Calls in Ireland to withdraw from the fixtures have intensified since the draw, with a 'Stop The Game' campaign gathering pace amid the wider conflict in Gaza.
- The source report notes the armed group Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. It adds that, in response, Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza during which more than 73,000 people have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry; the source says those figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.

PLAYER REACTION
- Ogbene rejected suggestions the political debate affected the team's focus against Kosovo: "I know there is a lot of discussion about things like that, but we just tried to focus on Kosovo today. All our mindset was on Kosovo to win this game and then deal with what's coming."
- Reflecting on his own performance he said: "I need to do more. I tried to focus on the ball and just mishit it, but I need to do better. We're overly disappointed with the result but most of all the performance as it's not like us."

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
- The squad meeting on Friday will discuss the players' approach to Sunday's fixture in Debrecen.