A World Cup dream denied — Somali referee Omar Artan receives a hero's welcome at home after being blocked from entering the United States and taking part in the World Cup.
“I had the right papers and everything,” Omar Abdulkadir Artan said in his first interview since he was turned back. He would have been the first Somali to referee a game in the tournament.
Omar Artan was one of 52 referees selected for the FIFA World Cup. But on Saturday he was denied entry because of “vetting concerns,” U.S. officials said.
After months of doubts over their participation, Iran’s players have received visas for the United States just days before the World Cup begins.