Omar Artan had his bags packed and his history-making moment within reach. The Somali referee was set to become the first official from his country ever to work a World Cup finals match, but he never made it past the border. Artan was denied entry into the United States, cutting short what would have been a landmark achievement for Somali football.
Details on the reasons behind his denial of entry have not been confirmed, but the impact is clear. A moment that carried enormous symbolic weight for Somalia and for African football representation on the world stage was stopped before it could begin.
For anyone who has followed the slow, hard work of building football infrastructure across the continent, this stings. The question now is what happens next for Artan, and whether the door back to that level will open again.
Originally published by BBC Africa.