Socceroos squad announcement delayed amid Jordan security concerns

The announcement of Tony Popovic’s Socceroos squad for the November international window has been delayed as Football Australia assesses security concerns regarding a scheduled friendly against Jordan in Amman.

Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has urged the match be relocated or rescheduled, noting that players are overwhelmingly opposed to traveling to Jordan due to safety fears. This follows recent violence in the country, including a suspected terrorist attack in Amman and a shooting at a church in southern Jordan. While the Jordan Football Association maintains the match is still scheduled, the Australian government advises travelers to reconsider visiting Jordan, which is currently at a level three travel advisory.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding the Jordan fixture, the squad for the match against Qatar in Doha has been named. The 25-man roster includes three debutants: Thomas Waddingham, Sam Klein, and Diesel Herrington. The squad also features two sets of brothers, Diesel and Lucas Herrington, and Kusini and Tete Yengi. Other notable inclusions are Gianni Stensness and Daniel Arzani, while veteran goalkeeper Mat Ryan remains excluded.