The United States (US) denied entry over the weekend to soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who had been expected to be the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup match.
An International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Spokesperson Mattias Grafström said on Monday that Artan will not be able to train and officiate at the World Cup which kicks off on Thursday after he was not allowed to enter the US.
“FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Artan’s status will not be changed at present,” Grafström said.
Artan said in a statement that despite the circumstances he was in a positive mood and focused on the next challenges of his refereeing career.
“I would like to thank FIFA and Confederation of African Football for all their support, and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future,” he said.
“I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup, and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions.”
The US Customs and Border Protection, without naming him, said in a statement that a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible due to vetting concerns.
The agency did not elaborate on those concerns, but said the referee underwent routine additional inspection before being denied entry.
–Reuters–
