The key facts

  • The Australia–Jordan match on 17 November has been moved from Amman to Doha
  • Players had asked for the match to be postponed or moved to another venue
  • The Australia national team remains in Qatar, where it plays Qatar on 13 November

Match moved to Doha

The friendly match between the Australia and Jordan national teams, scheduled for Tuesday, 17 November, will be held in Doha rather than Amman — due to security concerns. The announcement was made by Football Federation Australia, Anadolu reports. The new venue was agreed at a meeting in Amman between Football Australia chief executive Martin Cugeler and acting secretary general of the Jordan Football Association Farad Badarne.

Reasons and context

The relocation was preceded by the players' stance: last week the union Professional Footballers Australia said that most players wanted the match against Jordan to be postponed or played elsewhere. The Australian government currently advises its citizens to reconsider travel plans to Jordan, citing an unpredictable security situation. 'We are very grateful to the Jordan Football Association for agreeing to move the match,' the outlet quotes Cugeler as saying; he also thanked the Australian embassies in Jordan and Qatar, as well as the Qatar Football Association, for their assistance.

What this changes for the national team

The Australia national team, known as the Socceroos, is already in Doha, where on 13 November it will play Qatar at the Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. Thanks to the relocation, the team will be able to stay in Qatar for both matches. The venue and kick-off time for the match against Jordan will be announced later. Both friendlies were intended as preparation for the AFC Asian Cup: the tournament was to be held in Saudi Arabia in January but was moved to December 2027 after attacks by Yemen's Houthis on the country.