Arabic version: الاتحاد الأسترالي لكرة القدم يبحث عن بديل لمباراة الأردن الودية
According to ABC News, Football Australia is searching for an alternative venue as Socceroos players remain unwilling to travel to Amman for a friendly against Jordan next week. The senior team is scheduled to play Qatar in Doha on Saturday before the planned Jordan match on November 18.
Football Australia chief executive Martin Kugeler and football director Heather Garriock travelled to Doha this week to seek solutions. Professional Footballers Australia boss Beau Busch and men’s head of player relations Jon McKain also flew to Doha. Busch said last week that Socceroos players had “overwhelmingly expressed their view that the Jordan match should be rescheduled or relocated”.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Jordan because of the unpredictable security situation and the threat of terrorism. Football Australia had been keen for the match in Jordan to proceed, but said it was monitoring the security situation. Players are not expected to reverse their position, leaving cancellation or relocation as likely options.
One possibility is for Australia to remain in Qatar and face Jordan in Doha, though that proposal has reportedly met reluctance from both the Qatari and Jordanian football associations. A southern European venue, postponement or cancellation are also options. The friendlies were arranged as preparation for January’s Asian Cup, but the tournament has been postponed to December 2027 because of conflict in Saudi Arabia. Coach Tony Popovic has indicated players would not be blacklisted from future selection if they withdrew for security reasons.
