According to L'Équipe, French U20 international Dabo recalled his experience with Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan.
French U20 international Mustapha Dabo encountered Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan during the U20 World Cup last October. Like his teammates, his impression of the referee was: good at communication and willing to explain decisions.
In the past few hours, Artan's young refereeing career has been re-examined due to a visa refusal last Saturday that prevented him from attending the World Cup. The 34-year-old Somali referee has gradually established a good reputation in African football in recent years, including officiating the second leg of last season's African Champions League final between ASFAR and Mamelodi Sundowns. Mamelodi Sundowns won the first leg 2-1, and the second leg ended in a 1-1 draw. Artan has also appeared in the Saudi League this season and officiated the last Africa Cup of Nations.
Artan has also officiated matches involving French national teams. Last October, he officiated the third-place play-off between France U20 and Colombia U20 at the U20 World Cup in Chile. In that match, Artan did not bring good luck to the French team, as France U20 ultimately lost 0-1.
On Tuesday afternoon, French U20 players learned through social media that the US government decided not to allow Artan entry and gave the referee high praise: "For a small final at the U20 World Cup, he was a top referee. He was very coordinating and willing to let the game flow. When needed, he would communicate with us. He missed a lot of fouls, but overall, he was a good referee."
His teammates shared the same view, with one player stating: "He is a referee who is willing to communicate, who checks VAR when there are questions, and who explains his decisions."
That night, the South American team's advantage was very clear, and it was reflected in the physical confrontations, with a total of six yellow cards. But Artan left a good impression on the French players with his communication skills.
Dabo, who started as a winger that day, said: "He is a very good referee, one of the best I have ever encountered, because he is willing to explain things clearly to players. He tries to understand the players and doesn't mind explaining decisions. He always wants to make the reasons clear, even if the game is still going on and an attack is in progress. That's what I like about him. I feel very sorry for what is happening to him now."