I have right papers and visa - barred Somali referee Artan tells BBC

Somali FIFA referee Mohamed Artan told the BBC in a phone interview that U.S. authorities had given no reason for blocking him from his World Cup assignment. Artan said all documents in his visa application, which began three years ago, had been approved and that the invitation letter had been issued by FIFA. He had booked his Geneva connecting flight by the time he learned of the decision.

FIFA spokesperson Helene Pelosse said Artan had been assigned as fourth official in two group-stage matches and that the organisation was in contact with the U.S. State Department for an urgent resolution. A State Department official told Reuters that visa revocations were assessed case by case and that individual cases were not shared publicly. Somalia Football Federation President Abdiqani Said Arab expressed regret over the decision.

Somalia's Foreign Minister Ahmed Moalim Fiqi said a formal note had been delivered to the U.S. Ambassador in Mogadishu and that the decision would be appealed. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said the decision carried an indirect signal regarding Africa's World Cup representation. The confederation announced it was scheduling an urgent meeting with continental federations.