AMMAN: The Jordanian Football Association expressed regret on Friday over a video widely shared on social media this week that appeared to show Jordanian fans chanting offensive slogans during a World Cup qualifier between Iraq and Palestine.
The footage was fabricated, it said.
The video, which claimed to show Jordanian fans directing insulting chants at the Iraqi players and supporters, began to spread online after Palestine defeated Iraq 2-1 in the match at the Amman International Stadium on Tuesday. It provoked heated exchanges online among the two sets of fans.
The JFA said it regretted the fabricated video and affirmed the depth of the historical, deep-rooted ties between the Jordanian and Iraqi peoples, which it said could not be damaged by people who act in ways that do not reflect true sporting values, the Jordan News Agency reported on Friday.
The association said it had verified the video was fake, and was dismayed that some individuals seem set on inciting conflict, extremism and hatred among sports fans. It urged supporters in Jordan to avoid being drawn into online exchanges of disrespectful remarks that “do not reflect the values of Jordanians.”
It praised the efforts of Jordanian and Iraqi sports journalists who had attempted to alert their followers on social media to the fact that the video was fake and urge them not to fall victim to such “provocative and inciteful” videos.
The association also reminded fans of the tremendous efforts made by Prince Ali bin Hussein, the president of the JFA, to help lift a long-running FIFA ban on international games in Iraq, and that Jordan had played Iraq in 2017 in the first international game played at Basra International Stadium, which was also the first international game to take place in the country in four years.
The JFA added: “While we support our national team in its quest for direct qualification to the World Cup with all our capabilities, we emphasize the importance of adhering to the spirit of sportsmanship and the depth of shared Arab relations.
“We wish all other Arab teams success in their journey in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.”
Offensive Iraq-Palestine World Cup qualifier video ‘fabricated,’ says Jordan Football Association
https://arab.news/g99zs
Offensive Iraq-Palestine World Cup qualifier video ‘fabricated,’ says Jordan Football Association
- Fake video shared widely on social media claimed to show Jordanian fans chanting offensive slogans at the Iraqi players and supporters
- Association says it verified the video was fabricated and is dismayed that some people seem set on inciting conflict, extremism and hatred among sports fans
Paolini races into round two to kickstart Australian Open
MELBOURNE: Jasmine Paolini powered into the Australian Open second round with a straight-sets demolition to kickstart the action in a hot and sunny Melbourne on Sunday.
The seventh-seeded Italian outclassed Belarusian qualifier Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena.
Paolini faces Poland’s Magdalena Frech or Veronika Erjavec of Slovenia next.
“It was pretty good today, I did not expect that,” she said of her emphatic win in 69 minutes.
“Always tough to play first round. I played pretty good. I was solid, focused, so happy.
“Before the match I was a little nervous, to be honest, but then stepped on court and felt good from the first ball.”
The 30-year-old broke her opponent’s serve immediately and raced into a 3-0 lead in just 10 minutes.
She polished off the first set in 26 minutes and although Sasnovich put up more resistance in the second, Paolini ran out a comfortable winner.
Paolini reached the finals of Wimbledon and the French Open in 2024, but her best result at Melbourne Park is the fourth round in the same year.
