Assistant referee Stephen Yiembe from Kenya boasts an impressive medal haul from officiating at major sporting championships across the globe.

But Yembe’s story can’t be told without stating one caveat: Fifa does not allow referees to grant interviews to the media without clearance from the headquarters in Zurich.

The latest addition to Yiembe’s medal collection is undoubtedly one of his most prestigious - the medal he received on Wednesday night after officiating the 2026 Uefa Super Cup final as one of two assistant referees.

The match took place at Stadion Salzburg in Austria, and involved Uefa Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) who defeated Europa League winners Aston Villa 2-1. Yiembe became the first Kenyan to officiate the high-stakes match pitting the reigning Uefa Champions League winners and Uefa Europa League champions.

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Referee Omar Artan (third, right), fourth official Rade Obrenovic (2nd, left), video assistant referee Marco Di Bello (right), his assistant Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez (left), assistant referees Liban Ahmed (2nd, right) and Stephen Yiembe (2nd, left) pose with their medals after 2026 Uefa Super Cup final between PSG and Aston Villa at Stadion Salzburg in Austria on Wednesday.

Photo credit: Reuters

Equally making history with him were Somali referee Omar Artan, and Djibouti’s Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed, who served as the match’s centre referee and second assistant referee, respectively.

Artan made history as the first non-European to take charge of the match. Uefa selected him to officiate the final after he was refused entry into the United States of America to officiate at the 2026 Fifa World Cup. US hosted the Fifa World Cup with Canada and Mexico. In one of the videos from the awards ceremony, shared by Uefa on its social media handles, Artan can be seen leading the referees in shaking hands with Uefa president Aleksander Čeferin before receiving their awards.

For Yiembe, it is one of those moments he never imagined experiencing while growing up. Yiembe’s parents are from Siaya County, but he was born in Nakuru in 1989, and cut his teeth in refereeing in the dusty fields of Nakuru. He started officiating football matches in 2012 after completing his undergraduate studies at Moi University, where he pursued a Bachelor of Education.

He earned the prestigious Fifa referee badge in 2018 and has since established himself as one of the top assistant referees not only on the continent but in the world. The Fifa Club World Cup, Olympic Games, Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals, CAF Champions League and African Nations Championships (Chan) are among the major football tournaments where Yiembe has proudly flown the Kenyan flag as an assistant referee. He was among the 117 match officials selected by FIFA to officiate at the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States.

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Referee Omar Artan and assistant referees Liban Ahmed and Stephen Yiembe (left) during the warm up before the Uefa Super Cup final.

Photo credit: Reuters

Yiembe was the only match official from East Africa selected for the tournament. Initially, his dream of officiating at the tournament was thrown into doubt after he was denied a travel visa to the USA, but he eventually got it on appeal.

He served as an assistant referee in two matches at the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup: In Inter Milan’s 2-1 win over Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds on June 21, 2025 and in Real Madrid’s 3-0 victory over RB Salzburg FC from Austria on June 2026, 2025.

“Humbled to have walked this path. A moment forever etched in my journey, reminding me that it was not just hard work, but also God’s favour and grace at work. Forever grateful for the opportunity to serve the beautiful game on the world stage,” Yiembe said on his LinkedIn account after the conclusion of the tournament.

After serving as the second assistant referee in the 2024/25 CAF Champions League final between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundown on June 1, 2025, which the Egyptian team won 3-2 on aggregate, Yiembe said he would remember the moment forever.

“To be part of such a prestigious event, on African inter-club football’s biggest stage, is something I will forever be grateful to God for, and hold dear to my heart. My deepest thanks to Confederation Africaine de Football (CAF), the outstanding referee team, and all the officials who supported us throughout this journey,” Yiembe, who served in the match as an assistant referee, wrote on LinkedIn

Earlier this year, Yembe was appointed the Second Video Assistant Referee (VAR 2) for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) final between Morocco and Senegal, a dramatic encounter in which Senegalese players temporarily walked off the pitch before returning to win the tournament.

Yembe made his debut at a major senior tournament at the 2023 Afcon held in Cote d’Ivoire, before going on to officiate at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. He also handled the 2023 Afcon Under-23 final between Morocco and Egypt.

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dmusau@ke.nationmedia.com