Australian football
fans have been ripped off and face the threat of crowd violence at the
Socceroos' crunch World Cup qualifier with Jordan.
Tickets designated for
Australian fans cost 50 Jordanian Dinars (around A$98), despite tickets being
locally available for 3 JD (around A$5.85).
But it's not an option
for Socceroos supporters to make like a local and sit with Jordanian fans,
who've been warned against an approach by the Australian Government.
The Department of
Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) advice for travellers to Jordan was updated
this week with specific advice to Australian football fans.
"You should be
aware that there is a possibility of crowd violence when attending soccer
matches in Jordan," it reads.
"The environment
is generally not family friendly and sexual harassment of female fans is not
uncommon."
A handful of die-hard
fans have travelled from Australia for the match, with a few hundred ex-pats
from the region expected to attend Friday morning's (AEST) match.
Several Socceroos have
spoken of the hostile atmosphere on the country's last, and only, match in
Amman, which ended in a 2-1 win for Jordan in 2012.
Home captain and
veteran goalkeeper Ameri Shafi said they would draw on that memory when they
take the field.
"The match was
very tough ... but we play very tough in our country," he said.
"Tomorrow we will
play the same as we did in 2012.
"All the players
are well motivated, well focused to win the match tomorrow and get the three
points."
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