‘It was a very tough period’: Somali referee Omar Artan on FIFA World Cup snub

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan faced a difficult period when he was denied entry to the United States in June to officiate in the FIFA World Cup. Despite this setback, Artan is now set to officiate the UEFA Super Cup match between Paris Saint Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on Thursday. The 34-year-old, who will be the first non-European referee to officiate the Super Cup, expressed gratitude for the support he received worldwide and emphasized that anyone can achieve their goals with dedication and hard work.

Artan believes that perseverance is key and encourages aspiring referees to never stop dreaming and continuously improve their skills. Initially, Artan was questioned by border officials at Miami for about 11 hours before being informed that he would not be admitted, despite carrying a diplomatic passport and a valid US visa. He firmly denied any alleged links to terrorist organizations, stating that he had only been questioned about the Somali militant group Al Shabab.

Artan believes that the decision was based on his country's links to known terrorist groups. Upon returning home to Somalia, he received a warm welcome and promised to continue pursuing his ambition of officiating at the 2030 FIFA World Cup.