Image source: ISI Photos via Getty Images
The decision to transfer the friendly international match between the Jordanian and Australian football teams, which was scheduled in Amman, to Qatar, sparked widespread criticism in the Kingdom, after discussions about what was described as “security concerns” regarding holding the match in the Jordanian capital.
The Australian and Jordanian federations agreed to move the match scheduled for November 17, in response to the Australian players’ concerns about the security situation.
The Professional Footballers' Association in Australia called for the match not to be held in Amman.
League President Beau Bush said: “In full coordination with the federation, the players overwhelmingly expressed their desire to reschedule the match or move it to another location.”
The CEO of the Australian Football Association, Martin Kugoller, who visited Amman where he met with the acting Secretary-General of the Jordanian Football Association, Farah Al-Badarneh, said on Thursday, “We are very grateful to the Jordanian Football Association for agreeing to move the match.”
He added, "The dialogue with the Jordanian Federation was characterized by openness, respect, and cooperation at all stages... 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."
Meanwhile, the Jordanian Federation confirmed that the match would be moved to Doha “at the request of the Australian Federation, in a way that ensures that the match will be held within the current international break, and allows the national team to play a strong match against one of the prominent teams.”
Last week, the Jordanian national team also canceled its friendly match against Indonesia at the request of the Indonesian Football Association.
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The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recommends that its citizens reconsider travel to Jordan due to the “unpredictable security situation” and “terrorist threat,” according to Agence France-Presse.
This month, a member of the Public Security Service in Jordan was stabbed to death following an operation that Amman classified as “terrorist.” Last month, three gunmen opened fire inside and outside the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, in the village of Hamoud in Karak Governorate, southern Jordan, killing 9 people and wounding 40 others. Jordanian Public Security described the perpetrators as "extremists who carry takfiri ideology."
Public anger
Image source: JFA
The decision to agree to transfer the match sparked angry reactions from fans in Jordan.
Muhammad Al-Zawahra considered that the Football Association’s decision to agree to transfer the match was “wrong and ill-considered,” explaining that “its dimensions that go beyond a football match should have been considered,” as he described it.
While Al-Zawahra saw in his post on the
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An account called “Tell them, Salah” commented on the decision, describing it as “harming the nation’s image and showing us as a security-fragile country, ignoring that Jordan is the safest country in the region,” according to his post on the X platform.
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Meanwhile, Firas Al-Massi said, “Giving in to Australian demands, without clarifying the real reasons for public opinion, may have indirect repercussions on more than one party,” as he put it.
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The Jordanian Federation defends its decision
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On the other hand, the Jordanian Football Association issued a statement explaining why it agreed to move the match.
The federation said in its statement that it approved the transfer request “in order to preserve the national team’s preparation program for its final gathering before the next March window.”
The move also came “based on the technical staff’s decision on the importance of playing the match, given the importance of every international match in the preparation program after the postponement of the Asian Cup until the end of next year,” according to the statement.
The official Al-Mamlaka TV channel quoted the Vice President of the Jordanian Federation, Marwan Jumaa, as saying that talk about security concerns behind broadcasting the match is “not true.”
Jumaa explained, according to what was reported by the local channel, that the Australian Federation requested that the match be held in Qatar, “due to the presence of the Australian team there to play a match against the Qatari team, and the desire of its players to avoid the hassle of traveling and head again to Qatar before leaving for Australia.”
The Federation stressed in its statement that “this arrangement is limited to this friendly match alone, and does not apply to official matches whose stadiums are determined in accordance with the regulations of the Asian and International Federations, which guarantee the national team’s right to play its home matches on its soil in various matches.”
The match was scheduled as part of the teams' preparations for the Asian Cup, which was postponed from January to December 2027, against the backdrop of security concerns in Saudi Arabia, the host country of the tournament that was subjected to attacks from the Houthis in Yemen.
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