(FILES) Equatorial Guinea's midfielder #4 Fede Bikoro (2R) speaks with Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan (C) during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 round of 16 football match between Equatorial Guinea and Guinea at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe, Abidjan, on January 28, 2024. Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan, set to be the first from his country to officiate at the World Cup, was denied entry to the United States, a sports ministry official told AFP on June 8, 2026. "Denying him entry to the United States and preventing him from officiating scheduled matches harms not only him personally but also undermines football's commitment to fairness, merit, and the spirit of fair play," Ciise Aden Abshir, a senior advisor to Somalia's Ministry of Youth and Sports and a former national team captain, told AFP. (Photo by Issouf SANOGO / AFP via Getty Images)