Somali soccer referee Omar Artan is back on the big stage after he was denied entry to the United States in June. Artan was set to call matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup but returned to his native country after being unable to join up with his fellow referees at their base in Miami.
Now, he is in Austria, set to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa. Artan, the 2025 CAF Men's Referee of the Year, will become the first non-European referee to oversee the UEFA Super Cup and has taken the opportunity as a chance to show he deserves to be calling matches at the highest level.
"I believe that if I can succeed, anyone can. You can do whatever you want to do. Don’t ever stop dreaming," Artan told UEFA's official site.
"If you want to be a referee, it’s the best thing that you can do. So go after it and do it, and don’t stop, regardless of what happens and irrespective of people preventing you from doing your job.
"Learn new things every day, refine your skills and, most importantly, be fair and consistent."
Since being turned away from the World Cup, Artan has been officiating domestic matches in Somalia and also oversaw the title-decider of the Kuwaiti Premier League.
Why is Omar Artan reffing the UEFA Super Cup?
Artan's name recognition grew internationally after the visa situation, but he takes charge of the UEFA Super Cup in part because of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in April between UEFA and CAF, the governing body for soccer in Africa. Artan is joined on the field by assistants Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe of Kenya.
"This will be my first match in Europe. Having adventures, making memories and learning new things is always great," he said.
"For me, it’s fantastic that CAF is working with UEFA, the best confederation in the world for referees. The standard in Europe is fantastic and the football they play is very, very good," Artan said. "I believe that CAF referees can learn a lot from UEFA, and UEFA referees can also learn a lot from CAF. It’s mutually beneficial."
The moment comes when cooperation between UEFA and CAF seems otherwise unlikely. UEFA was joined by Concacaf and the AFC in sending an open letter to soccer fans expressing concerns about the leadership of current FIFA president Gianni Infantino. CAF, thus far, has remained supportive of Infantino staying in his position.
Artan will blow the opening whistle on the Super Cup at 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 12.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Somali ref denied US entry for World Cup in charge of UEFA Super Cup
