Canada has publicly offered to welcome Africa’s best referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, to officiate matches in Vancouver.
This invitation comes after the 34-year-old Somali official—voted the reigning CAF Male Referee of the Year—was controversially denied entry into the United States.
Artan, who was set to make history as the first Somali referee to officiate at a senior men’s World Cup, landed at Miami International Airport holding a valid visa and diplomatic passport. However, after being interrogated for 11 hours, US Customs and Border Protection blocked his entry due to “vetting concerns” tied to alleged associations with suspected members of so-called terrorists.
Because all on-pitch World Cup referees are required to prepare and train out of FIFA’s official tournament base in Miami, FIFA officially removed Artan from the tournament’s refereeing roster.
FIFA clarified that they have no jurisdiction over independent border control decisions made by host nations.
📸 Omar Abdulkadir Artan