UEFA has appointed Kenyan FIFA Assistant Referee Stephen Yiembe to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The match, which will be played on August 12 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, will be officiated by Yiembe on the stands. Yiembe is now the first Kenyan referee to be appointed to a European football competition.

His appointment comes days after Somali referee Omar Artan, who was denied a visa by the United States to officiate a World Cup match, was also appointed as the official referee for the UEFA Super Cup.

According to UEFA, the East African region will officiate the match, with Artan assisted by Yiembe and Djibouti's Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed, who will serve as Assistant Referee 1.

📌 What You Need to Know

For Yiembe, the assignment represents another major career milestone, as the UEFA Super Cup is one of Europe's premier club competitions, traditionally contested between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.

The appointment is the latest milestone for the Nakuru-born official, who has rapidly established himself among Africa's elite assistant referees.

In 2025, he was selected among 117 other match officials by FIFA to officiate the Club World Cup in the U.S .

During this period, he was the only match official from the East African region selected by FIFA for the competition.

Earlier in 2026, Yiembe was also appointed Assistant VAR 2 for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final between Morocco and Senegal, a match that was marked by drama when Senegalese players walked off the pitch before returning to win the tournament.

Before these milestones, the Kenyan assistant referee had also been featured in major tournaments, signaling his steady ascent up the ranks of match officials.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke