Socceroos’ Jordan friendly moved from Amman to Doha

Football Australia and the Jordan Football Association have agreed to move the Socceroos’ friendly against Jordan from Amman to Doha, allowing the Australian team to remain at its Qatar base after players raised security concerns about travelling to Jordan.

The match, scheduled for Tuesday, will follow Australia’s friendly against Qatar in Doha. The agreement was reached after discussions between the two football associations, including a meeting in Amman involving Football Australia chief executive Martin Kugeler and Jordan Football Association acting general secretary Farah Badarneh.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises Australians to reconsider travel to Jordan because of an unpredictable security situation and the threat of terrorism. That travel advice was cited in reporting on the players’ concerns; the reports did not identify a specific threat or incident affecting the team.

Professional Footballers Australia chief executive Beau Busch said players had overwhelmingly expressed the view that the Jordan match should be rescheduled or relocated. The players’ concerns focused on playing in Amman, while the team was already based in Doha for the...