Somalia’s Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been appointed to officiate the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup final, which will be played on August 7, the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has announced.
Artan will be assisted by Djibouti’s Liban Abdulrazack and Kenya’s Eliezer Stephen Yiembe. The same officiating team has also been selected to take charge of the 2026 UEFA Super Cup between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League champions Aston Villa.
CECAFA said the three match officials are expected to arrive in Kigali on Tuesday, August 4, with the Kagame Cup final serving as part of their preparations for the UEFA Super Cup, scheduled for August 12 in Salzburg, Austria.
The appointment further cements Artan’s status as one of Africa’s leading referees. The 34-year-old recently attracted international attention after reportedly being denied entry into the United States, where he had been selected to officiate matches at the FIFA Club World Cup. He was one of only three African referees chosen to serve as a centre referee at the tournament.
A FIFA-accredited referee since 2018, Artan has continued to make history for Somali football. He became the first Somali referee to officiate a CAF Champions League final and was named CAF Referee of the Year at the Confederation of African Football’s annual awards last year.
Meanwhile, the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup has reached the semi-final stage following the conclusion of the group phase on August 1.
The semi-finals will be played on Tuesday, August 4, at Kigali Pele Stadium. Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC will face Sudan’s Al Hilal SC Omdurman at 3:00 p.m., before Rwanda’s Rayon Sports FC take on South Sudan’s Jamus SC at 7:00 p.m.
The tournament winners will receive US$30,000 in prize money, while the runners-up will earn US$20,000. The third-placed team will be awarded US$10,000.
