️ Football Australia confirmed on Friday that the Socceroos’ international friendly against Jordan, initially scheduled to be played in Amman on Tuesday, will now take place in Doha after security concerns were raised about staging the fixture in the Jordanian capital. The decision follows consultations involving players and the governing body and shifts the match to Qatar, where Australia are already due to face Qatar in another friendly on Friday. The relocation affects preparations for the Asian Cup and reflects how security assessments can quickly alter international football schedules.
️ Key Takeaways: Australia’s friendly with Jordan has been moved from Amman to Doha due to security concerns. The match was set for Tuesday, with Australia already in Qatar for a Friday game against Qatar. Football Australia said the Jordan Football Association accepted the relocation, while players had “overwhelmingly” backed moving the fixture.
️ The move comes amid heightened attention to security in Jordan. Late last month, Jordan launched air strikes in Syria in what officials described as retaliation for a church attack that killed nine people and injured 40. Such attacks are rare in Jordan, which has generally been viewed as a relatively stable ally of the United States in the region, but a security officer was killed and another wounded in a stabbing attack in Amman this month. Those incidents, combined with player concerns, prompted Football Australia and Professional Footballers Australia to press for a change of venue.
️ Football Australia chief executive Martin Kugeler said the governing body was grateful to the Jordan Football Association for agreeing to relocate the match. “We are very grateful to the Jordan Football Association for accepting to relocate the match,” Kugeler said in a statement. “We know how much the Jordan team and fans were looking forward to welcoming the Socceroos to Amman. The dialogue with the JFA has been nothing but open, respectful and collaborative. They were wonderful hosts in Amman this week, and I thank them for their professionalism and flexibility. We look forward to welcoming Jordan to Australia in the future.” Professional Footballers Australia said last week that Australia’s players had “overwhelmingly” expressed their view that the match should be moved.
️ Jordan also cancelled their international friendly against Indonesia at the request of the Indonesian FA, adding another scheduling disruption to the regional football calendar. Australia’s friendlies against Qatar and Jordan were intended to form part of their preparations for the Asian Cup, which was postponed until December next year following attacks on host nation Saudi Arabia by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces. The venue change is expected to allow Australia to continue preparations in Doha without additional travel to Amman, although the match will lose the originally planned home atmosphere for Jordan.
️ The JFA has not announced further details about ticketing, travel or broadcast arrangements for the relocated game. Australia will now focus on the Qatar fixture before facing Jordan in Doha, with both matches serving as important tests ahead of the rescheduled Asian Cup. The episode underlines the priority international football authorities place on security advice and player welfare when deciding where matches can be safely staged.
Source: www.aljazeera.com