Somali referee denied entry to the USA
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 08.06.26. | 17:45
A number of African journalists have also faced visa denials
Omar Abdulkadir Artan is well respected Somali referee, and arguably the best in Africa. He became a FIFA listed referee in 2018 and participated in high-profile games since. Artan was a part of a nine-member contingent from Africa that includes three referees and six assistant referees selected and was in charge of some CAF Champions league games in 2026. But as of today, he won’t be going to the World Cup to the USA as he was denied entry. The reasons for this situation have not yet being given, especially since he has been given visa by the authorities. He traveled from Kenya, transited through Turkey and eventually arrived in the United States only to be sent back to Turkey.
This is not the only visa-relation problem ahead of this World Cup. Iranian team photographer was also denied entry and the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) has written to FIFA claiming that “many” Iranian and African journalists have been denied the necessary visas to cover the World Cup in the United States. Some of them were given single entries, which is also a problem due to the fact that some teams will move from USA to Canada and back again. Ivory Coast, for example, have a group game in Toronto sandwiched between two games in Philadelphia, while Senegal’s final group-stage game is in Toronto, and they may need to return to the U.S. for knockout games. Tunisia’s first two games will be in Mexico before their final group game in Kansas City.
“There are many cases: Iranian colleagues, African colleagues, some of whom have been given single entries, so if their team goes to play in Canada or Mexico and they follow it, they can no longer return to the States. The cases are countless and, I repeat, unacceptable. Politicians always say that sport unites and builds bridges between young people in countries in conflict, but in this case, we are going in the opposite direction” said AIPS president Gianni Merlo. So far, FIFA hasn’t replied to this problem.