Somalia criticises US decision to bar World Cup referee

Author: aljazeera.comPublished on: June 10, 2026Country: Somalia

SportsWorld / International

Somalia criticises US decision to bar World Cup referee

Somalia's football federation criticised the US decision to deny entry to award-winning referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who held a valid visa but was turned away at the border due to an unspecified 'vetting' concern. Artan was sent back to Turkey, his transit country, depriving Somalia of its historic World Cup debut.

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