Omar Artan: More Goodies for Somali Referee as He Receives Multi-Million Token After World Cup Woes

‎Africa's top referee Omar Artan continues to receive support following his controversial removal from the list of match officials of the 2026 World Cup.

‎Artan was dropped from the World Cup roster by FIFA after he was denied entry into the United States last weekend when he arrived in Miami ahead of the tournament.

‎His removal, which the US government claimed was due to suspected ties to terrorist groups, has been condemned around the world with support coming his way from various quarters.

‎On Thursday, UEFA handed him a massive lifeline when he was appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and Europa League holders Aston Villa in August.

‎Hours after this announcement, Artan received a cash reward from a local politician to soothe his pain following his controversial World Cup removal.

‎Somali politician Libaan Shuluq,who is running for the Galmudug regional presidency, handed Artan a token of $50,000 (Ksh6.5 million) on Thursday.

‎This comes after Artan missed an opportunity to earn at least double the amount at the World Cup, given referees at the global tournament will be paid a basic salary of $100,000 (Ksh13 million), excluding match bonuses.

‎Artan is a highly respected referee on the continent and was voted African Referee of the Year at the 2025 CAF Awards.

‎The 34-year-old has officiated at various tournaments, including the 2023 and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the 2025-26 CAF Champions League second leg final.

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