Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been appointed to officiate the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup final in Rwanda weeks after he was dismissed from his refereeing role at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Jean Sseninde, the Interim Executive Director of the Council of East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA), announced.
“On behalf of CECAFA, I warmly welcome Artan back to our region as he officiates the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2026. Artan has become a symbol of excellence in African refereeing and his remarkable achievements continue to inspire young match officials across the continent,” CECAFA President Paulos Weldehaimanot Andemariam.
The Somali referee will be joined by two assistant referees: Liban Abdulrazack (Djibouti) and Eliezer Stephen Yiembe (Kenya), who was appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup on August 12th in Salzburg will also referee the CECAFA Kagame Cup final at the Amahoro Stadium on August 7th.
The trios are expected to arrive in Kigali on August 4th, with the CECAFA Kagame Cup semi-finals to take place on August 4th, with Gor Mahia (Kenya) facing Al Hilal SC, while Rayon Sport FC will face Jamus SC (South Sudan).
The Gor Mahia match will begin at 1600 EAT, before Jamus host Rayon on the same day at 2000 EAT.
Artan, who was crowned CAF Men’s Best Referee in 2025, was this year denied a visa to participate as a referee at the FIFA 2026.
