Somalia backs referee after he is denied entry to US
Mogadishu (AFP) – Somalia on Tuesday defended award-winning referee Omar Artan after he was denied entry to the United States, preventing him from becoming the first Somali official to officiate at a World Cup finals.
Somalia defended referee Omar Artan after he was denied entry to the United States, preventing him from officiating at the World Cup finals.
What was announced
- Somalia's Ministry of Sports expressed deep regret over Artan's denial of entry despite diplomatic efforts.
- Omar Artan was named men's referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football in 2025.
- FIFA confirmed that Artan will not participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Context
Artan's appointment as a World Cup referee was a source of national pride for Somalia.
“Artan represents the very best of Somali talent.”
Why this matters: This incident highlights the challenges faced by Somali representatives on the international stage.
Original report with a saved translation · English
English · Machine translated · Not human reviewed
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Mogadishu (AFP) – Somalia on Tuesday defended award-winning referee Omar Artan after he was denied entry to the United States, preventing him from becoming the first Somali official to officiate at a World Cup finals.
In a statement, Somalia’s Ministry of Sports expressed “deep regret” over Artan’s denial of entry, saying despite diplomatic engagement with US authorities and world football governing body FIFA, it was “not possible to achieve a positive outcome”.
Artan, who in 2025 was named men’s referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was barred from entering the US on Saturday after arriving at Miami International Airport.
Artan’s appointment had been a huge source of pride for his compatriots, the country’s president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declaring in April he was “a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis”.
Source noteWhy this story appears
This report is shown because it came from Warkasta’s monitored source network and matches the current section, recency, and coverage labels.
Why this story appears
This report is shown because it came from Warkasta’s monitored source network and matches the current section, recency, and coverage labels.
- Source count
- 1
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- Horseed Media
- Language mix
- English
- Translation status
- Shown in its original language
- AI synthesis
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