Kenyan Referee Appointed for UEFA Super Cup PSG vs Aston Villa Clash

Kenyan assistant referee Stephen Yiembe has achieved another major career milestone after being appointed to the officiating team for the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.

He becomes the first Kenyan match official to be selected for a UEFA competition.

The FIFA-accredited official will serve as the second assistant referee when UEFA Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain face UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa on August 12 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.

The match will be overseen by Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, with Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed of Djibouti serving as the first assistant referee. 

Slovenia's Rade Obrenovič has been named fourth official, while Italy's Marco Di Bello will oversee Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties. 

Spain's Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez has been appointed as the Assistant Video Assistant Referee.

Yiembe's latest appointment adds to an impressive list of international assignments that have elevated his profile among Africa's top football officials.

In 2025, he was the only match official from the CECAFA region selected by FIFA for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. 

During the tournament, he officiated several high-profile fixtures, including Real Madrid's meeting with RB Salzburg and Inter Milan's clash against Urawa Red Diamonds.

Earlier this year, Yiembe was also appointed as Assistant VAR 2 for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.

His growing international experience also includes officiating at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

He made his Africa Cup of Nations debut during the 2023 tournament in Côte d'Ivoire, where he was part of the officiating team for the group-stage match between Tunisia and Namibia.

Artan, who was denied entry to the United States to officiate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, will lead the team.

In a statement on Thursday, June 11, UEFA explained that the decision to appoint Artan for the match was reached following discussions with the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF).

"Referee announced for 2026 SuperCup! We're pleased to share that Somali referee Omar Artan will officiate the highly anticipated match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg," UEFA wrote in a statement.