Australia and Jordan Match Relocated to Doha Over Safety Concerns

The international football friendly between Australia and Jordan scheduled for next week has been shifted to Doha, Football Australia announced on Friday. The decision follows security concerns regarding hosting the fixture in Amman. Late last month, Jordan carried out air strikes in Syria in response to a church attack that resulted in nine deaths and forty injuries. Although such incidents are unusual in the stable United States ally, a security officer was killed and another injured in a stabbing incident in Amman earlier this month.

Australia, who are set to play Qatar in Doha later on Friday, originally planned to travel to Jordan for Tuesday's fixture. The relocation occurred after Professional Footballers Australia reported last week that Australian players overwhelmingly expressed a desire for the match to be moved. Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler expressed gratitude to the Jordan Football Association for their willingness to relocate the fixture and praised their collaborative approach.

Football Australia relocated next week's match against Jordan to Doha due to security concerns.

Kugeler noted that the Jordan Football Association had been wonderful hosts and thanked them for their professionalism and flexibility, adding that they hope to welcome Jordan to Australia in the future. Last week, Jordan also called off an international friendly against Indonesia following a request from the Indonesian federation.

These scheduled friendlies were intended to serve as preparations for the Asian Cup. The tournament was previously postponed until December of next year following attacks on host nation Saudi Arabia by Iran-backed Houthi forces from Yemen.

Why it matters

The relocation of the Australia Jordan fixture affects international football preparations in the region, altering the schedule for teams gearing up for the upcoming Asian Cup. Such logistical shifts impact training timelines and squad preparations as sports organizations navigate security considerations.