The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the decision by the United States government to deny entry to Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, despite his official appointment by FIFA as one of the match officials for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Artan, who was set to become the first Somali referee in history to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, was denied entry upon arrival in Miami despite possessing a valid visa and having travelled to the United States in his official capacity as a FIFA official.
This shameful incident confirms exactly what progressive and anti-imperialist forces across the world warned FIFA about when the tournament was awarded to the United States. The EFF cautioned that it was reckless to place the world’s most celebrated sporting competition in a country that has institutionalised discrimination, weaponised immigration policy, and continues to treat people from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and other parts of the Global South as security threats rather than human beings.
The exclusion of Artan is merely the latest manifestation of a pattern of discrimination that has marked this tournament before a single ball has been kicked. In recent weeks, Iran’s national football team was forced to abandon plans to establish its training base in the United States and instead relocate to Mexico because of visa complications, security concerns and restrictions imposed by US authorities.
Reports indicate that Iran’s players only received their visas shortly before the tournament, while several members of the team’s support staff were denied visas altogether. Iran has further complained that its delegation would be forced to travel into and out of the United States for matches rather than being treated like every other participating nation.
There have also been reports of players, officials, photographers and delegates from countries targeted by United States immigration restrictions being subjected to prolonged questioning, arbitrary vetting procedures, and humiliating treatment upon arrival at American ports of entry.
What makes this situation particularly unacceptable is that the United States was awarded hosting rights despite an extensive and well-documented history of discriminatory immigration practices, racial profiling, and the targeting of minority communities. The same state that separates migrant families at its borders, disproportionately incarcerates Black people, persecutes undocumented migrants, and routinely subjects Muslim communities to surveillance and suspicion, has now been entrusted with hosting the largest sporting event on earth.
The treatment of Artan is particularly offensive because it robs both Somalia and the African continent of a historic achievement. Here was a referee who had risen through the ranks of African football, been recognised as one of the continent’s finest officials, yet his achievement has been undermined by the discriminatory actions of a host nation that believes itself entitled to decide which Africans may participate in global events and which may not. The EFF therefore calls on FIFA to publicly account for how it intends to protect players, officials, journalists and supporters from discriminatory treatment throughout the duration of the tournament. We further call on the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the African Union, and all African football associations to formally protest the treatment of Artan and demand guarantees that no other African participant will face discrimination, harassment, or exclusion during this tournament.
The EFF has consistently called for proportional representation in electoral systems.
Skull Crusher
Eina! – ouch! [Ay-na] Usually expressed when someone experiences a sharp pain of some sort.
Spoiler
Ag man! [Ach-man] This is the Afrikaans equivalent to “Oh man!” and is often used at the beginning of a sentence to express pity, resignation or irritation.Example: “Ag, man!” / “Ag, no man!” / “Ag, shame man!”