Omar Artan is Africa's best referee having won the CAF Best Male Referee in 2025 . He spent years working toward one dream: reaching the highest levels of international football as a referee.

A respected African football official, Omar earned the honour of participating in a FIFA tournament hosted in the United States. This was supposed to be his career-defining opportunity, achieved through sacrifice, discipline, dedication and love for football.

But after months of preparation, travel planning, training, and official selection, Omar was denied entry to the United States and unable to participate.

For any referee, opportunities like this are rare. For a Somali official representing both his country and African football on the world stage, the loss is even more devastating.

This was not simply a missed trip.

It was:

• Omar's life dream, striving to get to the world cup for almost a decade - the biggest stage for a football official.

• lost international exposure and income

• lost career momentum

• lost networking opportunities

Despite this setback, Omar’s love and commitment to football is stronger than ever. He will continue officiating football with professionalism, and representing African referees with dignity and excellence.

Why We Are Raising Funds

This fundraiser will help Omar:

• recover financially from lost tournament related income and opportunities

• continue training and preparation for future international assignments

• cover professional travel and development costs

• support his family and personal stability during this difficult period

• continue advocating for equal opportunity in international sport

More importantly, it will show him that we care and feel his pain and disappointment.

A Bigger Message

Omar’s story reflects a broader reality faced by many African professionals, athletes, and officials who encounter travel and visa barriers despite earning their place on the global stage.

Football is meant to unite us across borders, cultures, and nations.

We hope this campaign sends a message of solidarity, fairness, and support — not only for Omar, but for talented professionals everywhere whose opportunities should never be limited by where they come from. If you are good enough, you should be allowed to do your sport.

Every contribution, no matter the amount helps and all contributions will go to him.

Please share this campaign with football fans, sports lovers, journalists, and communities around the world.

Thank you for standing with Omar Artan.

#StandWithRefOmar

#FootballWithoutBorders

#WorldCup

#AfricanFootball

more on this story:

BBC

Reuters

Confederation of African Football Award