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Stephen Yiembe: High-profile games Kenyan referee has officiated at world stage
12th August, 2026 10:40 AM
Kenyan assistant referee Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe is set to make history as he joins the list of East African officials participating in the first-ever Super Cup match overseen by a team of African officials.
This comes after UEFA confirmed that Artan, who had faced a visa setback regarding the 2026 FIFA World Cup, earned the honours to take charge of the European clash pitting the Europa League winners against the reigning UEFA Champions League winners in the European curtain-raiser.
Since acquiring his international status in 2018, when he was officially included among Kenya’s FIFA assistant referees, Yiembe maintained his craft with a solid profile, officiating in both domestic and international fixtures of world football.
Here are the other games he has taken charge of before the big announcement for the Super Cup clash.
He previously joined his compatriot Peter Kamaku in overseeing the second leg of the 2025 CAF Champions League final between AS FAR Rabat and Mamelodi Sundowns. They worked under the reigning African Referee of the Year, Omar Artan, who took charge of the match as the centre referee.
CAF Super Cup assignment
In October 2025, Yiembe officiated as an assistant referee in the CAF Super Cup match between Pyramids FC and RS Berkane in Egypt. Sudan’s Mahmood Ismail was the center referee, with Yiembe joining his compatriot Gilbert Cheruiot as an assistant.
The clash brought together the reigning champions of the Confederation Cup and the CAF Champions League runners-up at the Air Defence Stadium in Cairo, with Pyramids FC clinching the title with a 1-0 victory.
AFCON finals
Yiembe was also part of the officiating team for the 2025 AFCON final in Morocco between Senegal and the host nation on Sunday, January 18, 2026. Although not among the four officials led by Congolese referee Jean-Jacques Ndala as the center referee, he played his part as the Assistant VAR, deputising for Gabon’s Pierre Ghislain Atcho.
The tie saw its share of controversy when Senegal briefly walked off the pitch after Morocco was awarded a penalty.
Furthermore, Yiembe was included in the list of African referees tasked with overseeing the prestigious 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, highlighting his standing and growing influence in world football officiating as he represented the CECAFA region as the sole Kenyan official at the tournament.
His involvement included group-stage fixtures between Real Madrid and RB Salzburg, as well as Juventus and Urawa Red Diamonds.
Beyond the fixtures mentioned, he also served as a video match official for the 2024 CHAN tournament hosted in September 2025 across Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Kampala, which culminated in the final on Sunday, August 30, 2025.
