Australia's friendly against Jordan next week will go ahead as planned. The Jordanian FA confirmed the match for 17 November at Amman International Stadium after cancelling a separate fixture against Indonesia.

Jordan called off its 13 November friendly with Indonesia at the request of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI). A PSSI official said the decision was made "primarily due to security considerations." "We know that the situation in the Middle East is currently not good, so we took into account concerns that it could affect the psychological well-being of the players and the team," the official added. The cancellation followed a stabbing attack in Amman on 5 November that killed a security officer and injured another.

Despite the security concerns, the Jordanian FA has assured Australia the match will proceed. The Australian Football Association had delayed its squad announcement for the upcoming games against Jordan and Qatar due to player travel concerns. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade currently advises citizens to reconsider travel to Jordan.

The match is part of Australia's preparations ahead of their next fixture against Qatar on Saturday 13 November. Graham Arnold's side are looking to bounce back from a 4-2 defeat to Brazil in their last outing on Tuesday 29 September, which followed a 1-1 draw with the same opponents on Friday 25 September. Alessandro Circati and Connor Metcalfe scored for the Socceroos in that loss, with Circati netting in the 28th minute and Metcalfe adding another five minutes later. The team's recent form, with no wins, one draw and one defeat from their last two matches, sees them currently placed 4th in their World Cup qualification group standings, having taken 7 points from their first 4 matches.

For Jordan, the game marks their first preparation match since their debut at the 2026 World Cup. Coached by Badou Zaki, they secured their place by defeating Oman 3-0 in June 2025 but exited the tournament after three group-stage losses in a group with Argentina, Austria and Algeria. The original friendlies were planned as preparation for the Asian Cup, which was postponed to December 2027 following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Australia's squad for the trip to Amman is expected to be named in the coming days.

Background and full detail: arabnews.com