Omar Artan, whom the US barred from officiating at the World Cup due to security checks, will referee the match between PSG and Aston Villa in Salzburg on Wednesday. Alongside him, Kenyan assistant Stephen Yiembe also makes history.
Just three weeks after the World Cup final, the European football season gets its first trophy. On Thursday, August 13, 2026, Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League winners, and Aston Villa, the Europa League champions, will meet in Salzburg for the UEFA Super Cup. But beyond the stars on the pitch, much attention will be on the referees, especially the main official, Omar Artan from Somalia.
Artan was named Africa's best referee last season and officiated the African Champions League final in 2025. Despite this, the United States banned him from refereeing at the World Cup just days before the tournament, citing security checks. US officials claimed Artan had ties to terrorist organizations, but they did not publicly provide evidence for these allegations.
UEFA responded by appointing Artan as the main referee for the Super Cup, a move that has been widely welcomed in the football community. Many interpret this as a political response from Europe's governing body, given the rising tensions between UEFA and FIFA. UEFA is leading a campaign to oust President Gianni Infantino following his recently rejected plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.
"A lot of people sympathize with me because when you work for many years and you are supposed to do something, and then you can't, it's very challenging. I really appreciate the support I've received from all over the world. I'm so grateful," Artan told UEFA.
Artan is the first non-European referee to take charge of the UEFA Super Cup. He won't be alone, the entire refereeing team comes from East Africa. The first assistant referee will be Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed from Djibouti, and the second assistant is Stephen Yiembe from Kenya. Yiembe, originally from Nakuru, also makes history as the first Kenyan referee to participate in a UEFA competition.
Yiembe has an impressive background. He officiated at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was part of the refereeing team at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where he took charge of matches involving Real Madrid against RB Salzburg and Juventus against Urawa Red Diamonds. He also gained experience at the Africa Cup of Nations and in the CAF Champions League, officiating matches of top clubs like Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns. The rest of the officiating team includes fourth official Rade Obrenović from Slovenia, VAR official Marco Di Bello from Italy, and his assistant Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez from Spain.
"The standard in Europe is fantastic, and the football they play is very, very good," Artan said, adding that he has done extensive research on PSG and Aston Villa ahead of his first match in Europe.
On the pitch, PSG, led by coach Luis Enrique, will try to join Real Madrid as the second team in the modern era to defend the Super Cup title. The Parisians beat Tottenham on penalties last year. In attack, the main threat will be Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has had a much longer preseason than most because Georgia did not participate in the World Cup. On the right wing, new signing Maghnes Akliouche, who arrived from Monaco, could feature.
Aston Villa, which beat Freiburg 3-0 in the Europa League final, comes into the match weakened. Key midfielders Morgan Rogers (Chelsea) and Youri Tielemans (Manchester United) have left the club. On the other hand, Swiss international Johan Manzambi and Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes from Wolverhampton have arrived. Interestingly, Lucas Digne, the 33-year-old left-back who just joined PSG from Aston Villa for €10 million, is likely to play for PSG. Digne was born in the suburbs of Paris and first joined PSG in 2013 from Lille, before playing for Roma and Barcelona and then spending eight years in the Premier League.
