Who be Somali referee Omar Artan wey dem ban make e no enter US

"Despite di circumstances, I dey positive mood and I dey focused on di next challenges for my refereeing career."

Dis na wetin Omar Artan, di Somali referee wey US no allow to enta di kontri for di 2026 Fifa World Cup tok.

Omar Artan begin trend on Monday afta immigration authorities no allow am enta di United States wen im land di kontri on Monday.

Dem no allow am enta di kontri for di Miami International Airport and im currently dey for Turkey.

Di Somali referee wey be di Confederation of African Football (Caf) Best Referee for 2025 bin dey go US as one of di referees wey go officiate di 2026 Fifa World Cup.

Im bin don ready to make history as di first Somali to referee for di World Cup finals but dis history no go happun again as Fifa finally drop am from di list of officials.

Tori be say di US immigration authorities no give any reason why dem no allow am enta di US, but Somalia na one of di many kontris wey dey on di US travel ban list wey President Donald Trump administration introduce.

'Fifa no dey involved for host kontri immigration processes'

World Football governing body Fifa don wash dia hand comot from di immigration wahala wey Omar Artan dey face.

Afta dem do tok-tok wit di US authorities, Fifa confam say Artan go miss di tournament.

"Fifa fit confam say di match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan no go fit train and officiate for di Fifa World Cup 2026 afta dem deny am entry into di United States," Fifa tok for statement.

"Fifa no get hand for host kontri immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and authorities don inform us say dem no go fit change Mr Artan status at present.

"In line wit previous Fifa events, di host govment na im dey ultimately determine who receive visa and who dem go admit into dia kontri." Fifa conclude.

Somali authorities no happy at all

Dis tori no sweet di belle of Somali authorities as one senior adviser to Somalia ministry of youth and sports confam to BBC say true-true di US no allow Omar Artan enta di kontri and im bin travel wit valid documents.

One Somali embassy official for Nairobi tell di BBC say Artan dem give Artan diplomatic passport to make im travelling easy afta im bin face visa difficulties earlier.

Di Somali Football Federation (SFF) bin contact Fifa to seek urgent clarification.

Andrew Giuliani wey dey lead di White House Task Force on di World Cup, tel BBC World Service say: "While I no fit go into di derog [derogatory information] on dat I go tell you say na di right decision by customs and border patrol and I support dat decision."

Pipo dey continue to react to dis tori as former Somalia national team captain Ciise Aden Abshir beliv say di decision go against di sport 'commitment to fairness, merit and di spirit of fair play'.

Football online platform talksports.com quote Abshir wey tok say "Omar Artan dey among Africa most respected referees and deserves di support of di entire football community," Abshir tok.

"To deny am entry to di United States and to stop am from officiating scheduled matches no harm only am personally but also undermines football commitment to fairness, merit, and di spirit of fair play."

Artan na one of di seven referees from Africa to wey get matches to officiate for di World Cup.

Oda referee na Pierre Atcho (Gabon), Dahane Beida (Mauritania), Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Jalal Jayed (Morocco), Amin Mohamed Omar (Egypt) and Abongile Tom (South Africa).

Omar Artan Profile

Tori be say dem born am for Moghadishu, Somali capital for 1992.

Im becom Fifa referee for 2018 and since dat time im don officiate for many matches for di Fifa Under-20 World Cup and di Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

Di Confederation of African Football Caf award am di best referee for Africa for 2025.

im start in refereeing career from local leagues for Somali. Na di first referee from Somalia to take charge of continental final, wen im bin officiate di Pyramids of Egypt FC and Mamelodi Soundowns of South Africa 2024–25 CAF Champions League match for Cairo, Egypt.

Im bin also make history for January 2024 as di first Somali to officiate for di Africa Cup of Nations.