African Referee of the Year 2025, Omar Abdulkadir Artan, has been appointed to officiate the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup final, the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) announced on Sunday. The Somali referee will take charge of the final on August 7 at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, where the region's premier club competition will crown its new champions. Artan will be assisted by Djibouti's Liban Abdulrazack and Kenya's Eliezer Stephen Yiembe. ALSO READ: UEFA appoints Somali referee Artan to officiate Super Cup The appointment comes just days after UEFA selected the same officiating trio for the UEFA Super Cup, scheduled for August 12 in Salzburg, Austria. Artan, 34, has established himself as one of Africa's finest match officials in recent years. He attracted global attention earlier this year after being denied entry into the United States to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite holding a diplomatic passport issued by the Somali government to facilitate his international travel following visa challenges. Meanwhile, hosts Rayon Sports, Sudan's Al Hilal SC, Kenya's Gor Mahia and South Sudan's Jamus FC have booked their places in the CECAFA Kagame Cup semi-finals, which will be played on August 4 and 5 at Kigali Pelé Stadium.
