Somali referee Omar Artan, blocked from entering the US for the World Cup, has been appointed to oversee the Uefa Super Cup between Paris St‑Germain and Aston Villa in Salzburg on 12 August.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin hailed Artan as “an excellent young but already experienced referee,” with CAF backing the move.
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Artan, CAF’s 2025 referee of the year, was set to become the first Somali at a World Cup finals but was turned away in Miami despite valid papers.
US officials alleged links to terror groups, which he denied, saying: “I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream.”
