The Socceroos will play their upcoming friendly against Jordan in Doha instead of Amman, after players raised safety concerns and Football Australia agreed the move with the Jordan Football Association.
Tony Popovic’s side are currently in Doha where they’re set to play Asian champs Qatar on Friday (Saturday AEDT) but their players and staff had made it clear they felt Tuesday’s (Wednesday AEDT) international against Jordan in the capital Amman should be rescheduled or relocated.
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The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had advised Australians to reconsider their need to travel to the Jordan “due to the unpredictable security situation” and the “threat of terrorism” there.
After a meeting between Football Australia officials and the Jordan Football Association (JFA), it was agreed that the Socceroos could stay at their current base in the Qatari capital and play the Jordan match there on Tuesday.
“It’s great to have the second match of this FIFA international window, against Jordan, confirmed. We were always confident that a positive outcome would be reached,” said Popovic in a statement.
“From the outset, our focus has been on playing two matches, and the players are ready for both Qatar and Jordan.
“These are crucial games, as we have limited time together, especially now that the AFC Asian Cup has been rescheduled. This will be our last camp for four months.”
Both friendlies had been arranged as warm-up, acclimatisation internationals before January’s Asian Cup, but the tournament has been pushed back to December 2027 due to conflict in Saudi Arabia.
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The meeting between JFA Acting General Secretary Farah Badarneh and Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler in Amman thrashed out the arrangement, which means the Socceroos will be playing both finalists from the 2023 Asian Cup at the same venue.
“We are very grateful to the Jordan Football Association for accepting to relocate the match,” said Kugeler.
“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.
“I would also like to thank the Australian Embassies in Jordan and Qatar for their support, and the Qatar Football Association, for helping us facilitate the switch.”
