Speaker 1: Somali referee Omar Martin is set to make football history
Speaker 1: when he takes charge of the twenty twenty six UEFA
Speaker 1: Super Cup in Salzburg, Austria. In a groundbreaking appointment for
Speaker 1: European football, the thirty four year old official will become
Speaker 1: the first non European referee to blow the whistle for
Speaker 1: UEFA's annual showpiece, leading an all African officiating crew as
Speaker 1: Champions League winners Paris Saint Germain take on Europa League
Speaker 1: champion's Aston Villa. The landmark assignment follows a period of
Speaker 1: immense personal heartbreak and high profile international controversy. Artin, who
Speaker 1: was named CF's Male Referee of the Year after stellar
Speaker 1: campaigns across continental competitions, was originally slated to represent Somalia
Speaker 1: at the twenty twenty six FIFA World Cup in North America. However,
Speaker 1: after arriving at Miami International Airport with a valid visa,
Speaker 1: he was inexplicably denied entry by United States border authorities
Speaker 1: due to unstated betting concerns. The decision forced FIFA to
Speaker 1: exclude him from the tournament, sparking widespread backlash across the
Speaker 1: global football community. In a swift move to support the
Speaker 1: referee and reinforce institutional cooperation. UEFA partnered with the Confederation
Speaker 1: of African Football under a newly signed memorandum of understanding
Speaker 1: to hand Artin the high profile Super Cup assignment. Just
Speaker 1: days after his exclusion from the World Cup. UEFA President
Speaker 1: Alexander Sefferin praised Artin's world class officiating record, framing the
Speaker 1: appointment as a celebration of unity, equality and global excellence
Speaker 1: in refereeing. Reflecting on the whirlwind summer, Arton described the
Speaker 1: visa denial as a deeply challenging period, but emphasized his
Speaker 1: gratitude for the overwhelming solidarity he received from fans, officials
Speaker 1: and the global football community. Now preparing for his first
Speaker 1: ever match on European soil, Artin expressed profound pride in
Speaker 1: representing Somalia and inspiring the next generation of African match
Speaker 1: officials on the sport's biggest stages