Sébastien Pocognoli started his Scotland tenure with a scoreless draw in Ljubljana, while Republic of Ireland players agreed to face Israel despite Gavin Bazunu withdrawing.
Scotland held in Ljubljana
Scotland opened its Nations League campaign on Saturday with a 0-0 draw against Slovenia in Ljubljana, marking Belgian manager Sébastien Pocognoli’s first match in charge since replacing Steve Clarke.
The 39-year-old manager saw Scotland produce an improved second-half display, but Oli McBurnie and Kieron Bowie both missed scoring opportunities. Robbie Ure played 67 minutes, while Welsh started after Donovan was left out of the lineup. Following the draw, Pocognoli acknowledged that Scotland had to ‘suffer together.’ Ahead of the match, Slovenia captain Jan Oblak noted that Scotland played ‘beautiful football’ under Clarke and described them as a ‘demanding opponent.’
Slovenia manager Bostjan Cesar dealt with multiple squad losses after three players pulled out in three days before kickoff. Manchester United striker Benjamin Sesko was ruled out, followed by replacements Zan Zaletel and Nik Prelec, who had been called up after injuries to defenders Kenan Bajric and Marcel Ratnik.
Ireland players vote to face Israel
In other Nations League action, Republic of Ireland players voted on Saturday to fulfill Sunday’s Group B3 match against Israel in Debrecen, Hungary, after goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu withdrew from the squad over the war in Gaza.
Bazunu’s decision prompted hours of talks among players at their hotel. The discussions delayed the team’s Saturday training session and news conference by more than five hours, with the media briefing rescheduled to 14:30 BST. The squad ultimately voted to play, with a significant majority backing the decision, though the players didn’t reach unanimous agreement. The team also plans to wear black armbands during the match.
Bazunu later confirmed his departure on social media. Because UEFA rules require teams to register three goalkeepers, Ireland listed an outfield player among its goalkeepers for the fixture. Broadcaster RTÉ decided to reduce its coverage of the match. Ireland entered the game looking to recover from an opening loss to Kosovo, before traveling to Serbia to face Israel again a week later.
