Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan (L); Ghana team midfielder Thomas Partey (R) – Wikimedia Commons

After Canadian politicians spent days slamming the United States for denying entry to a Somali FIFA referee with alleged ties to terrorist organizations, and then rolled out the red carpet, inviting him to Canada instead, THEY JUST DENIED A GHANA WORLD CUP PLAYER ENTRY over serious rape and sexual assault charges.

The stunning hypocrisy is on full display.

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, named Africa’s top male referee in 2025 and selected as the first Somali ever to officiate at a FIFA World Cup, was denied entry into the United States at Miami International Airport last weekend. U.S. Customs and Border Protection cited “vetting concerns.”

A U.S. official later confirmed the denial stemmed from “association with suspected members of terror organizations.” Artan was questioned for roughly 11 hours before being turned away, despite holding a valid visa and diplomatic passport.

He returned to Somalia to a hero’s welcome, complete with crowds, flags, and government officials greeting him at the airport. UEFA quickly stepped in and assigned him to referee the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on August 12, 2026, in Salzburg, Austria.

Enter the Canadian leftists.

British Columbia Premier David Eby declared, “Mr. Artan would be welcomed and celebrated in British Columbia for what he’s overcome and where he is today. Let’s have him referee in Vancouver.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow went even further, stating: “Denying entry to Omar Artan, who has earned his place on the world stage through hard work and perseverance, is not right. Toronto believes in fairness, inclusion, and giving talent the opportunity to shine. He would be welcome to referee here in our city. I will be writing to FIFA to let them know he is welcome to referee here.”

Now comes a rather inconvenient development.

Canada has denied entry to Ghana national team midfielder Thomas Partey, preventing him from participating in Ghana’s World Cup opener in Toronto. FIFA confirmed that Partey’s visa application was rejected by the Canadian government.

Why? According to multiple reports, Partey is currently facing multiple rape and sexual assault charges in the United Kingdom. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies wrongdoing. His trial is scheduled for 2027.

Ironically, Thomas Partey was granted entry into the United States on June 3, 2026, and has been actively training with the Ghana national squad at their base camp in the Boston/Rhode Island area. He simply cannot travel to Canada for the Toronto match after Canadian authorities rejected his visa application.

Jim Hᴏft Jim Hᴏft is the founder and editor of The Gateway Pundit, one of the top conservative news outlets in America. Jim was awarded the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award in 2013 and is the proud recipient of the Breitbart Award for Excellence in Online Journalism from the Americans for Prosperity Foundation in May 2016.

You can email Jim Hᴏft here, and read more of Jim Hᴏft's articles here.

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