ANI
11 Jun 2026, 22:34 GMT+10
New York [US], June 11 (ANI): Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who has been ruled out of officiating at the World Cup after being denied entry to the United States, has been appointed to take charge of next month's UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, Reuters reported.
Artan, 34, had been named among the match officials for the June 11-July 19 World Cup but was forced to miss the tournament after U.S. authorities declined his entry despite him holding a valid visa.
European football's governing body said on Thursday that Artan's appointment for the Super Cup followed discussions with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is part of a recently signed cooperation agreement between the two organisations.
Artan, Africa's referee of the year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali to officiate at soccer's global showpiece, but was turned back by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The US President Donald Trump's administration said on Tuesday that the US had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to suspected members of terror organisations.
'What happened has happened, and it was unfortunate. I am grateful for the support FIFA gave me,' Artan told reporters after arriving in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, and urged his supporters to stand behind their country, as quoted by Reuters.
FIFA had previously announced the appointment of 52 referees and 88 assistant referees for the World Cup 2026. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of Africa Leader news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Africa Leader.
More InformationBELFAST, Northern Ireland: Keir Starmer said he would use the full force of the law after a night of racist violence in Belfast that...
TEL AVIV, Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu will run for re-election this year, his party said on June 10, after U.S. President Donald Trump...
TOKYO, Japan: A bear that wandered into Utsunomiya, a city just north of Tokyo, and frightened residents was captured on June 9 after...
DUBAI, U.A.E.: Even as the United States carried out airstrikes on Iran early on June 10, and Iran responded by attacking countries...
DUBAI/BEIRUT: Israel carried out an airstrike on the historic port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on June 9, killing at least eight...
NANYUKI, Kenya: On June 9, Kenyan police used tear gas to break up protesters in the central town of Nanyuki. The protesters were opposing...
LONDON, U.K.: British retailer Boots is discussing a potential $10 billion (£7.5 billion) sale with prospective buyers, a move that...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Sales of previously owned homes in the United States rose to their strongest pace of the year in May, signaling renewed...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks tumbled on Wednesday as the latest CPI reading showed inflation in the United States has surged to...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: OpenAI has confidentially filed for a U.S. initial public offering, becoming the latest artificial intelligence...
BRUSSELS, Belgium: European Union regulators have ordered Meta Platforms to restore access to WhatsApp for competing artificial intelligence...
SEATTLE, Washington: Amazon has signed a multi-billion-dollar agreement with Corning aimed at expanding U.S. production of optical...
