MOGADISHU, June 10 (Reuters) - Somali soccer referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan said on Wednesday the decision to bar him entry to the United States for the World Cup was "fate" and urged his fellow Somalis not to lose heart over it.
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 U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) over the weekend.
The Trump administration said on Tuesday the U.S. had denied Artan entry for the World Cup because of his links to "suspected members of terror organizations".
"What happened has happened and it was fate. 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.
“Somalia is ours, whether things are good or bad. I want to tell our youth not to lose hope in our country,” he said. "I am now in my country, and there is no other place I want to be."
The Trump administration's strict immigration policies have been a point ofconcernbefore the World Cup,with Washington imposing a sweeping travel banlast year oncitizens of 12 countries, including Somalia.
A FIFA spokesperson said Artan would now not be able to train or officiate at the tournament, which is being held in the U.S., Mexico and Canada and starts on Thursday.
FANS UPSET
The news was greeted with bitter disappointment by Somali soccer fans who had been eagerly anticipating Artan's presence at the tournament.
"It would have been a massive moment not just for him, but for the rest of us and Africa," Abdifatah, a student who gave only his first name, told Reuters.
Photographer Najib A. Farah, 26, described the decision as "shameful".
"Omar Artan was a role model for Somali referees and turning him away sends the wrong message to young Somalis aspiring to careers in football," he said.
Somalia's government said it had tried unsuccessfully to negotiate with the U.S. and FIFA so that Artan could enter the U.S. and was saddened by what had happened.
Without identifying Artan, the CBP said a Somali national arrived at Miami International Airport from Istanbul on Saturday and was deemed inadmissible because of vetting concerns.
An administration official later said CBP officials had determined that Artan was a threat to national security.
It was not clear which game or games Artan would have refereed, although such information is typically only announced two to three days in advance.
(Reporting by Faisal Ali in Mogadishu, Writing by Ammu Kannampilly, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
