The World Cup’s integrity is under scrutiny tonight after a top referee, Mohamed Artan, was barred from travelling to the tournament despite insisting his visa is valid. Artan, a respected official from Somalia, claims Fifa has failed to back him, leaving him stranded and questioning the governing body’s commitment to fair play.
Artan was due to officiate at matches in Qatar next week, but border officials denied him entry, citing unspecified irregularities. However, the referee produced documents showing his visa was issued by the Qatari embassy in Mogadishu and cleared all checks. “I have done nothing wrong. My visa is genuine. Fifa must stand up for its officials,” he told this paper from a hotel near Doha airport.
The incident raises questions about the selection process and the pressure on referees in a tournament already mired in controversy over human rights and corruption allegations. For workers in the real economy, this is not just about football. It is about whether international bodies will defend their own when the stakes are high.
Sources close to Fifa say they are “reviewing the matter” but have not issued a public statement. Meanwhile, Artan waits, his career and the credibility of the sport hanging in the balance.
