Kenyan FIFA Assistant Referee Stephen Yiembe has been appointed by UEFA to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Aston Villa, making history as the first Kenyan referee selected for a European football competition. The match will be played on August 12 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, marking another landmark achievement for Kenyan and African football officiating.
Yiembe will serve as an assistant referee alongside Somali referee Omar Artan, who has been appointed as the match referee, and Djibouti’s Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed as Assistant Referee 1. According to UEFA, the officiating team reflects growing recognition of East African referees on the international stage and highlights the region’s rising influence in elite football competitions.
The appointment adds to an impressive run of international assignments for the Nakuru-born official. In 2025, Yiembe was among 117 match officials selected by FIFA for the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, becoming the only official from East Africa chosen for the tournament. Earlier in 2026, he also served as Assistant VAR 2 during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.
Yiembe’s journey through the ranks of international football officiating has been marked by consistent progression. He made his debut at a major tournament during the 2023 AFCON before officiating at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. He has also handled high-profile fixtures, including the AFCON U23 final between Morocco and Egypt, further cementing his reputation as one of Africa’s leading assistant referees.
His latest appointment also reflects the growing cooperation between UEFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding focused on referee development and exchange programmes. The milestone represents another proud moment for Kenyan football and underscores the increasing global recognition of African match officials on some of the sport’s biggest stages.
