Kenyan football referee Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe is set to reach another major milestone in his international career after being appointed to the officiating team for the 2026 UEFA Super Cup.
Yiembe will serve as an assistant referee when Paris Saint-Germain face Aston Villa on August 12, 2026, in Salzburg, Austria.
Onyango will officiate the match alongside Somali center referee Omar Artan and Djiboutian assistant referee Liban Ahmed.
The appointment adds another major chapter to the career of the Nakuru-born official, who has represented Kenya at some of football’s biggest international tournaments.
Stephen Yiembe’s Early Refereeing Career
He began his refereeing career in 2012 before progressing through Kenya’s officiating system.
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In 2018, he was included among Kenya’s FIFA assistant referees, marking his entry into the international refereeing, and was given the FIFA badge.
His development included participation in a two-year UEFA-sponsored refereeing course in Zurich, Switzerland, through the Football Kenya Federation.
Yiembe subsequently established himself in CAF competitions, officiating in tournaments including the CAF Champions League, African Nations Championship and junior African competitions.
In 2025, Onyango served as second assistant referee in the CAF Champions League final between Pyramids FC of Egypt and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Cairo.
He had earlier officiated the semi-final between Sundowns and Al Ahly alongside Gilbert Cheruiyot.
Yiembe was also part of the Kenyan officiating team at the 2024 CHAN tournament, where he served as a Video Assistant Referee.
He was also selected for AFCON 2025, while later serving as an assistant video referee during the tournament’s final.
He had also officiated the 2023 AFCON U-23 final between Morocco and Egypt.
Olympics, Club World Cup and CAF Champions League
Yiembe’s international profile continued to rise in 2024 when FIFA selected him among the match officials for the Paris 2024 Olympic football tournament. He served as an assistant referee, making his Olympic debut as part of the 89-member officiating group selected from 45 countries.
In 2025, he was selected for the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Yiembe was the only Kenyan official selected for the tournament and represented the CECAFA region.
During the tournament, he was assigned to officiate the Real Madrid versus RB Salzburg match.
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Historic UEFA Super Cup Appointment
Yiembe’s latest achievement came in July 2026 when UEFA appointed him to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between PSG and Aston Villa.
The appointment makes him the first Kenyan match official selected for a UEFA competition, placing him alongside Artan of Somalia and Ahmed of Djibouti in an East African-led officiating team.
The match will feature Champions League winners PSG against Europa League winners Aston Villa.
His international résumé now includes assignments at the Africa Cup of Nations, Olympic Games, FIFA Club World Cup and CAF Champions League, before his historic entry into UEFA competition.
Net Worth and Earnings
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