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Kenyan referee Stephen Yiembe to officiate in PSG vs Aston Villa UEFA Super Cup showdown
12th August, 2026 09:03 AM
In a historic moment for African representation in elite European football, Kenyan referee Stephen Yiembe is among the officials who will oversee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup final this Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria.
The Nakuru-born official was selected as an assistant referee working under Somalia referee Omar Artan, who will lead an all-CAF-affiliated officiating team as the centre referee
Djibouti’s Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed will be the other assistant.
Slovenia’s Rade Obrenovič will serve as the fourth official, while Italy’s Marco Di Bello and Spain’s Guillermo Cuadra Fernández will manage the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and Assistant VAR duties, respectively.
Arrived and ready in Salzburg
Artan and his officiating crew touched down in Salzburg on August 10, 2026, ahead of the blockbuster clash. Speaking via UEFA’s official channels on behalf of the team, Artan expressed his excitement, confirming they are fully focused and calling on fans globally to tune in for Wednesday’s kickoff.
The high-profile fixture will see UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) square off against Europa League winners Aston Villa for the prestigious Super Cup trophy.
Beyond the opening curtain-raiser of the European football calendar, the appointment of an African refereeing team by UEFA marks a historic moment for the continent and the global game.
Triumphant chapter for East African refereeing
The announcement by UEFA back on Thursday, June 11, 2026, made it the first time non-European referees were appointed to oversee the Super Cup, highlighting the soaring global standards and recognition of officials and excellence beyond the top league nations.
“I was lucky, but I have worked very hard to be here, and I’m really proud,” Artan reflected in an interview with UEFA
For Artan, the 34-year-old’s rise has been meteoric, beginning in 2024 when he became the first Somali referee to officiate at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). He followed this up in 2025 by overseeing a CAF Champions League final and earning the title of CAF Men’s Referee of the Year, before ultimately securing selection to the FIFA World Cup panel in 2026.
Yeimbe has also been an ever-present figure in Kenya’s top-flight league, the Football Federation (FKF) Premier League, matches, as well as overseeing high-profile Confederation of African Football (CAF) fixtures
