FAI investigates alleged racist abuse of Idah

What the report says

The Football Association of Ireland is investigating allegations that Republic of Ireland forward Adam Idah was subjected to racist abuse by Israel supporters during Sunday’s 3-0 UEFA Nations League win. According to BBC Sport, midfielder Jayson Molumby alerted match officials during the game, asking them to listen for chanting he believed was abusive, but officials later told FAI staff they had not heard racist chanting.

Because no formal racism complaint was raised in the usual way during play, UEFA’s standard reporting process was not triggered, and the governing body said it could not begin its own inquiry at that stage. The FAI is now trying to gather high-quality match footage and pitchside audio, with a panel expected to review the material. If the panel finds evidence supporting the allegation, the association plans to file a complaint to UEFA and seek further investigation.

Idah, who scored in the match, was reportedly unaware of any abuse at the time and is being supported by teammates and staff. The game took place in Debrecen, Hungary, and was already controversial because of protests and wider tensions around Ireland’s decision to play Israel. More broadly, the case highlights football’s disciplinary procedures for racist abuse and the difficulty of pursuing action when incidents are not clearly documented during a match.