In an effort to ease recent tensions, Jordan national team star Mousa Al-Taamari, who plays for French side Montpellier, addressed the controversy surrounding his earlier remarks through an Instagram story, offering a clear apology and clarification.

Al-Taamari stressed that his comments were not intended as an insult to Saudi club Al-Shabab or its supporters, saying: “When I spoke, I was referring to a specific person only. I did not mean Al-Shabab or its fans.”

He issued a direct apology, admitting it was a slip of expression: “I sincerely apologize, I just chose the wrong words.” He also reaffirmed his respect for the club, stating: “Al-Shabab and its fans are highly respected,” and called for his apology to be accepted.

In a separate clarification, the Jordanian international addressed another misunderstanding related to earlier comments about Algeria and the Algerian national team, reiterating that no disrespect was intended.

He explained that his remarks about the Jordan–Algeria match being between “brothers and equals” were taken out of context due to an edited video that did not include the full statement.

Al-Taamari concluded his message by sending greetings and love to everyone, closing on a conciliatory note.