KPL referee Stephen Yiembe has etched his name into the country’s football history after becoming the first Kenyan match official to be appointed for a UEFA competition. Yiembe will serve as Assistant Referee Two during the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa.
The prestigious curtain-raiser to the European club season will be played on August 12 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany, bringing together two of Europe’s finest clubs in the traditional season-opening showpiece.
Yiembe will be part of an all-East African officiating team led by Somali referee Omar Artan, with Djibouti’s Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed serving as Assistant Referee One. The appointment marks a historic breakthrough for Kenyan football, as no Kenyan referee has previously been selected to officiate in a UEFA-organised competition.
The Nakuru-born official has steadily established himself among Africa’s leading assistant referees through consistent performances at both local , continental and global tournaments. His latest recognition comes after an impressive campaign at the 2026 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where he handled two high-profile group-stage matches.
Yiembe first officiated the clash between Italian giants Juventus and Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds before earning another appointment in the blockbuster encounter involving Spanish powerhouse Real Madrid and Austrian champions RB Salzburg in Philadelphia. The back-to-back assignments underlined FIFA’s growing confidence in his ability to perform at the highest level.
His growing CV also includes several major CAF Champions League fixtures, including semi-final matches involving African heavyweights Al Ahly of Egypt and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. In 2024, he further enhanced his international profile after representing Kenya at the Olympic Games in Paris, adding another landmark achievement to an already distinguished career.
Yiembe’s rise continues Kenya’s proud tradition of producing elite football referees who have excelled on the global stage. Retired FIFA referee David Otiende became the first Kenyan official to officiate at a FIFA World Cup when he was selected for the 2006 tournament in Germany. Otiende also handled several Africa Cup of Nations finals and other FIFA competitions, laying a strong foundation for future generations of Kenyan match officials.
Former FIFA assistant referee Marwa Range also enjoyed an outstanding international career, officiating at multiple FIFA World Cups, FIFA Club World Cups, Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the Olympic Games. His consistency over nearly two decades earned him recognition as one of Africa’s most accomplished assistant referees.
In recent years, Kenya has continued to produce respected officials such as Peter Waweru Kamaku, who has taken charge of several CAF Champions League and AFCON qualifying matches, further strengthening the country’s reputation in elite football officiating.
While Kenya has previously been represented at FIFA and CAF competitions, Yiembe’s appointment to the UEFA Super Cup opens a completely new chapter. He becomes the first Kenyan referee to officiate in a UEFA competition, underscoring the increasing recognition of East African officials beyond the African continent.
The appointment also reflects UEFA’s growing collaboration with other continental confederations in selecting elite referees for major international fixtures. For Kenya, Yiembe’s achievement is not only a personal triumph but also a significant milestone for the country’s football fraternity, inspiring a new generation of referees to dream of officiating on the biggest stages of world football.
