Omar Artan set to receive approval for refereeing in Egyptian Premier League

A proposal for Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate in the Egyptian Premier League is expected to be approved, according to a source within the Egyptian refereeing committee.

The committee is due to meet Egyptian Football Association officials within the next few days to discuss Artan’s request, with the source telling FilGoal.com that there is a positive mood towards bringing him in.

“There is a welcome for using Omar Artan after the Somali referee requested to officiate in the Egyptian Premier League,” the source said.

“The refereeing committee will meet with officials from the Egyptian Football Association to discuss the matter within days, and the most likely outcome is approval of his request.”

The issue was raised after Essam Abdel-Fattah, head of the refereeing committee, revealed that Artan had formally contacted him about working in Egypt.

Speaking to DMC, Abdel-Fattah said: “He contacted me today, but not to referee the Al Ahly and Zamalek match. He sent an official letter from the Somali Football Federation requesting to officiate in the Egyptian Premier League. I have no objection to that, but we are waiting for the approval of the Egyptian Football Association.”

He added: “If the Egyptian Football Association agrees, we will host him in the Egyptian Premier League as soon as possible.”

Artan became the first referee from outside Europe to take charge of a UEFA Super Cup final after officiating the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa.

His appointment came after he was excluded from the 2026 World Cup when United States authorities refused to issue him with an entry visa, despite the referee having arrived at the airport.

UEFA subsequently decided to compensate Artan for his omission from the World Cup by appointing him to referee the UEFA Super Cup.

The decision to select him followed co-ordination between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football, as part of the co-operation between the two organisations, according to UEFA’s official website.