Somalia criticises US decision to bar World Cup referee
Somalia’s football federation says the US decision to deny entry to award-winning referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has deprived the country of a historic World Cup debut. Artan held a valid visa, but US authorities cited an unspecified ‘vetting’ concern and turned him away at the border, sending him back to Turkey, his transit country.
Published On 10 Jun 2026
