Australian national team players have declined to go to Jordan for a planned friendly match next week because of security worries. This position has prompted Football Australia to hold immediate discussions to move or call off the game, which is scheduled for Saturday 17 October.
Chief executive Martin Kugeler and football director Heather Garriock have traveled to Doha to look for alternatives. One idea is for the team to stay in Qatar after their upcoming match there and play Jordan in Doha instead. It is reported that this suggestion has been met with hesitation from the football authorities of both Qatar and Jordan.
Holding the match in a location in southern Europe is another consideration, as is cancelling or delaying it. The Australian government advises its citizens to think carefully about traveling to Jordan because the security environment is uncertain and there is a risk of terrorist acts.
Beau Busch, the head of high performance for the Socceroos, stated the players' view. "Socceroos players had overwhelmingly expressed their view that the Jordan match should be rescheduled or relocated," Busch said.
Coach Tony Popovic has made it clear that any player who chose not to travel for safety reasons would not be excluded from future team selection. The friendly matches against Qatar and Jordan were set up as warm-up games for the Asian Cup, an event that has been delayed. Australia will play Qatar in Doha before the intended journey to Amman for the Jordan match. The team's most recent outing was a convincing 3-0 victory over Qatar, a result that extends their unbeaten run to one match.
Since the players are not likely to change their stance, calling off the game or finding a new location seem to be the only workable choices.
Background and full detail: abc.net.au
