Somali referee says his World Cup dream is dashed after US denies entry
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Referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan from Somalia was questioned overnight upon arrival in Miami, before he was put on a flight back to Istanbul.
PHOTO: AFP
Matthew Mpoke Bigg
NAIROBI – A referee from Somalia said on June 9 that the biggest dream of his professional life had been shattered after US authorities denied him permission to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup soccer tournament.
The referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, was one of 52 selected for this summer’s World Cup in North America. He was one of seven African referees to be chosen for the tournament and would have been the first Somali to referee a World Cup game.
