Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to officiate at the World Cup, will still receive his full tournament fee, ESPN is reporting.
The Eagle Online recalls that he was turned back after interrogation for 11 hours by US immigration authorities last week Monday.
This was at the Miami International Airport in the US.
Artan’s diplomatic passport and single entry US visa were rejected.
He said he was questioned by border officials over his links to Somali militant group, Al Shabab.
He said he told them he knew nothing about the organisation.
He said: “I had the right papers and everything.
“I had the right visa.
“I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup.”
According to ESPN, after being put back on a plane to Turkey, Artan received assistance from Fifa officials in Istanbul before boarding a flight to the Somali capital Mogadishu.
ESPN further learnt that Artan will be fully remunerated for his commitments at the World Cup.
It said the exact figure has yet to be determined due to the number of games he would have been assigned.
In the wake of his exclusion from the World Cup, UEFA appointed him to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup, a preseason clash between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League winners Aston Villa in Salzburg, Austria in August.
More details here...
