O arbitrator somali Omar Abdulkadir Artan returned to Mogadishu this Wednesday (10) after being prevented from entering the United States to play at the World Cup.
Upon arrival in the capital of Somalia, he was received by fans and local authorities in a festive atmosphere.
During landing, Artan thanked the support received from FIFA, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Somali population.
The referee, however, avoided giving details about the .
Omar, named African referee of the year in 2025, was about to make history as the first Somali to referee a . However, he was blocked from entering the country by United States Customs and Border Protection last weekend.
The Trump administration stated on Tuesday (9) that the referee was denied entry due to ties to “suspected of belonging to terrorist organizations”part of a strict stance on immigration that raised concerns ahead of the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
“What happened, happened, and it was destiny. I am grateful for the support that FIFA gave me”, told journalists after returning to the Somali capital.
The referee also made an appeal to the country’s youth.
“Somalia is ours, whether in good times or bad, I want to tell our young people not to lose hope in our country. Now I’m in my country, and there’s no other place I’d rather be”, he stated.
Upon arrival at ’s Adan Abdulle International Airport international Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan received a heroic welcome on Wednesday morning.
— Nasra Bashir Ali (@NasraBashiir)
