Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan arrived in Kigali on Tuesday ahead of officiating the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup final on August 7. The 2025 CAF African Referee of the Year was welcomed upon arrival at Kigali International Airport by Rwanda FA second Vice-President Richard Mugisha. The Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) has appointed the 34-year-old as the centre referee for the tournament's final at Amahoro Stadium. ALSO READ: UEFA appoints Somali referee Artan to officiate Super Cup Artan will be assisted by Djibouti's Liban Abdulrazack and Kenya's Eliezer Stephen Yiembe. The trio has also been selected to officiate the UEFA Super Cup between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, two European clubs that are Visit Rwanda partners which won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League respectively last season. The match will take place at Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, Austria, on August 12. Artan has emerged as one of Africa's most highly regarded match officials in recent years, a reputation that was recognised when he was named CAF African Referee of the Year in 2025. In June, he made international headlines after being denied entry into the United States to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite traveling on a diplomatic passport issued by the Somali government. Meanwhile, Gor Mahia became the first team to book a place in the CECAFA Kagame Cup final after defeating Al Hilal Omdurman 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time. The Kenyan champions will face the winner of the second semifinal between hosts Rayon Sports and South Sudan's Jamus FC.
