Hero’s welcome for Somali referee denied entry to US World Cup tournament

Mogadishu, Somalia – Barely a few days had passed between the celebrations that greeted news of Somali referee Omar Artan’s journey to the World Cup—a milestone that inspired pride and optimism among Somali football fans—and the crushing realisation that he would not, in fact, be attending because of United States immigration restrictions. The possibility had worried many from the outset. …