Africa's referee of the year in 2025 was turned back by US Customs and Border Protection over the weekend.

MOGADISHU, June 10 : Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan on Wednesday criticised a decision to bar him entry to the United States for the World Cup, saying that what had happened to him was "wrong".Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at soc

(CORRECTS headline, first and fourth paragraphs to clarify that Artan said what happened was 'fate')By Faisal AliMOGADISHU, June 10 : Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan on Wednesday said the decision to bar him entry to the United States for the World Cup was "fate" and urged his fellow Somal

MOGADISHU: Somali football referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan said on Wednesday (Jun 10) the decision to bar him entry to the United States for the World Cup was "fate" and urged his fellow Somalis not to lose heart over it.Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali to off