Somali soccer referee, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was denied entry into the United States (US) to officiate a World Cup match, arrived at Istanbul Airport late on Tuesday for his return flight to Mogadishu.
Artan thanked FIFA and the Confederation of African Football as well as the Somali people as he arrived at passport control. He declined to comment further on the process of his denial to enter the US.
He was expected to board a Turkish Airlines flight at 2255 GMT.
A FIFA Spokesperson said Artan would not be able to train or officiate at the World Cup. Somalia’s government said it had unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with the US and FIFA so that Artan could enter the country and it was saddened by what had happened.
US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said on Tuesday that travellers are regularly denied entry to the US because they are not eligible for entry or pose a threat. When asked about Artan being denied entry, Scott declined to provide specifics.
–Reuters–
