2026 World Cup: EFF slams US over entry denial of Somali referee

South Africa’s opposition pa jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one j jin88bet.one jin88bet.one in88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one r jin88bet.one ty, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), has strongly jin88bet.one jin88be jin88bet.one t.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one criticised the reported jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one treatment jin88bet.one of Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan after claims jin88bet.one jin88bet.one that he was denied entry into the United jin88bet.one States despite being appointed b ak168app.baby jin88bet.one jin88bet.one jin88bet.one y jin88bet.one jin88bet.one FIFA as an official for the jin88bet.one jin88bet.one ak168app.baby ak168app.baby 2026 World Cup.

The incident has sparked rene ak168app.baby ak ak168app.baby 168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby wed debate across Af ak168app.baby rica ak168app.baby about wheth ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.club ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.club e a ak168app.baby k168app.baby ak168app.baby ak168app.baby r participants from the conti ak168app.club nent will face ob ak168app.baby ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.baby stacles at a tournament being hosted by th ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.c ak168app.club ak168app.club lub ak168app.club e United States, Canada and Mexico.

In a statement ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club issued on Tuesday, ak168app.club the EFF described the reporte ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club d refusa ak168app.club l o ak168app.clu ak168app.club b f entry as a troubling development and said it reinforced ak168app.club concerns ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club that had been raised when the U ak168app.club ks168app.site ak168a ak168app.club pp.club ks168app.site nited States was awarded hosting rig ak168app.club ak168app.club ak168app.club ks168app.site ak168app.club ks168app.site hts for f ks168app.site ootball ks168app.site ‘s biggest event.

According to the party, Artan tra ks168app.site velled to the United States ks168app.site ks168app.site with both a valid visa and ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.si ks168app.site te ks168app.site ks168app.s ks168app.site ite ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.sit ks168 ks168app.site app.site e ks168app.site FIFA accreditation linked to his World Cup duties. However, the EFF said th ic88 e Somali official was allegedly turned away upon a ic88 ic88 ks16 ks168app.site 8app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ic88 ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ic88 ic88 ks168app.site ic88 ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ks168app.site ic88 ks168app.site ic88 ic88 ic88 rrival in Miami.

The party argued t ic88 hat the case raises broader questions about how participants from Africa and other parts of the worl ic88 d will be tre ic88 ic88 a ic88 ic88 ic88 ted ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 during t ic88 he tournament.

For many across the continent, the ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic ic88 88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic ic88 88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic ic88 88 ic88 ic88 ic88 reported incident carries particular significance because Artan was ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 set to make history as the first Somali referee ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 selected to offi ic88 ic88 ciate at a FIFA World Cup.

The EFF said such an achievement would h ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ave represented a landmark moment ic8 ic88 8 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 not only for S ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 omalia but also for African ic88 football as a whole.

The South African political organisation linked the issue to wider concerns ic88 about US immigration procedures an ic88 ic88 d restrictions affecti ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic8 ic88 lr88 lr88 ic88 8 lr88 lr88 ic88 lr88 lr88 ic88 lr88 lr88 ic88 lr88 lr88 ic88 lr88 ic88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ic88 ng visitors from lr88 lr88 certa lr88 in regions of the world.

lr88 ic88 lr88 lr88 ic88 i lr88 lr88 c88 ic88 In its state lr88 ment, the EFF said: “This shame lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 ful incident confirms exactly what lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 progressive and anti lr88 lr88 -imperialist forces across the world warned FIFA about when the tournament lr88 lr88 lr88 was awarded to lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 the US.”

T lr88 lr88 h lr88 e party also pointed to reports involving Iran’s nationa lr88 l football lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 team.
lr88 lr88 lr88
Acc lr88 lr88 ording to the EFF, Iran was force lr88 lr88 d lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr8 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 8 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 to alte lr88 lr88 lr88 r its World Cup prepa lr88 lr88 rations by relocating its planned training base from lr88 the Unit lr8 lr88 8 ed States to Mexico because of lr88 visa-related lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 complications, security concerns a lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 nd restrictions imp op88 lr88 lr88 lr88 lr88 op88 lr88 op88 lr88 op88 osed by American author op88 ities.

The EFF op88 lr88 op88 lr88 further alleged that players, officials, photog op88 op88 lr88 lr op88 op88 lr88 op88 op88 lr88 op88 lr88 op88 op88 op88 lr88 88 op88 op88 op88 lr88 op88 op88 op88 raphers and delegates from countr op88 lr88 lr88 ies affect op88 lr88 op88 ed by US immigration measures have faced additional screening and lengthy questionin lr88 g when entering th op88 e co op88 untry.

op88 lr88 op88 Using Artan op88 ‘s case as an example, the party questioned whether all World Cup participants would receiv op88 e equal treatment during the tournament.

The controv op88 si88 ersy come op88 s as African nations prepare for the expanded 48-team W op88 si88 si88 si88 op88 op88 si88 orld Cu si88 si88 si88 si88 op88 si88 op88 si88 si88 si88 p, which is expected to be the largest edition in the competition’s history.

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana are among the Afri si88 si88 si88 si88 si88 si88 si88 op8 si88 si88 si88 si88 8 can teams preparing to compete on the si88 si88 si88 si88 global stage, while supporters si88 across the continent a 88v si88 si88 si88 si88 re expected to travel in significa 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v si88 si88 si88 nt numbers to 88v si88 si88 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v si88 88v si88 North America 88v 88v for the tournament.

The EFF has cal 88v led on FIFA to 88v explain how it intends 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v to protect p 88v layers, off 88v icials 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v 88v , journalist 88v 88v s and support 88v 88v 88v 88v ers from discrimination during the World Cup. SEXXXXX-VN 88v 88v

It has also urged the Confederat SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN ion of SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN Africa SEXXXXX-VN n Football, the African Union and football associations across Africa to formally protest the reported treatment of Art SEXXXXX-VN an and s SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX- SEXXXXX-VN VN eek assurances that no SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SE SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN XXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN other SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN African participant wi SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SE SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN SEXXXXX-VN XXXXX-VN ll face discrimination, harassment or exclusion during the competition.

Mubarak Haruna

Mubarak Haruna is an emerging force in African football journalism, recognised for his speed, accuracy and ability to break major stories. He specialises in breaking news, match coverage and multimedia storytelling across radio, television and digital platforms.He holds a degree in Journalism from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and has developed his craft within some of Ghana’s leading media organisations. Mubarak has worked with the Multimedia Group, where he served as a sports radio and television presenter at Joy FM, while also contributing as a writer for Myjoyonline.com.Known for his sharp instincts and ability to deliver timely football stories, Mubarak has gained growing recognition for his impactful reporting and dedication to the profession.He is currently the Deputy Managing Editor of African.Football, where he plays a key role in driving editorial operations, breaking major stories and supporting the platform’s mission to deliver fast, reliable and high-quality African football content to a global audience.

See Full Bio