Kenyan Referee Stephen Yiembe Makes History with UEFA Super Cup Appointment as PSG Face Aston Villa
Kenyan FIFA Assistant Referee Stephen Yiembe has reached another landmark in his officiating career after being appointed by UEFA to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa F.C..
The prestigious fixture, scheduled for August 12 at the Red Bull Arena Leipzig, will see Yiembe serve as one of the assistant referees, making him the first Kenyan match official ever appointed to a UEFA European club competition.
The appointment marks another major breakthrough for the Nakuru-born official, whose rise through international football has gathered momentum over the past three years. The UEFA Super Cup is one of Europe’s most prestigious football fixtures, bringing together the reigning champions of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League in the traditional curtain-raiser to the European season.
East Africa Takes Centre Stage
Yiembe will work alongside Somali FIFA referee Omar Artan, who has been named the centre referee, while Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti will serve as Assistant Referee One.
The appointments mean East Africa will have a significant presence on one of European football’s biggest stages, highlighting the growing international recognition of refereeing talent from the region.
For Artan, the appointment comes only days after he was reportedly denied a United States visa, preventing him from officiating at a FIFA World Cup-related assignment. UEFA’s decision to hand him one of its biggest fixtures is widely viewed as another major endorsement of his standing within international football.
Another Milestone for Yiembe
For Yiembe, the UEFA Super Cup appointment is the latest achievement in an impressive career trajectory.
In 2025, he was among 117 match officials selected by FIFA to officiate at the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, becoming the only referee from the East African region chosen for the global tournament.
Earlier in 2026, Yiembe also served as Assistant VAR 2 during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal—a dramatic encounter remembered after Senegalese players briefly walked off the pitch before returning to secure victory.
His growing reputation has also seen him officiate at several elite competitions, including the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and the 2023 AFCON Under-23 final between Morocco and Egypt.
UEFA-CAF Partnership Bearing Fruit
Yiembe’s appointment also reflects the expanding cooperation between UEFA and Confederation of African Football under their Memorandum of Understanding, which promotes referee exchanges, technical development and closer collaboration between European and African football.
The agreement has opened new opportunities for African match officials to officiate in elite European competitions while allowing UEFA and CAF to share expertise in referee training and development.
For Kenya, Yiembe’s historic appointment represents a proud moment for the country’s football fraternity and further cements his place among Africa’s most accomplished assistant referees.
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