Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan will officiate the final of the 2026 CECAFA Kagame Cup, scheduled for Friday, 7 August at the Amahoro Stadium in Rwanda.
Artan, who made the news in the past two months after being denied an opportunity to officiate at the recently concluded 2026 FIFA World Cup, will take charge of the regional East African final, as announced by CECAFA on Sunday, 2 August.
“On behalf of CECAFA, I warmly welcome Artan back to our region as he officiates at the CECAFA Kagame Cup 2026,” CECAFA President Paulos Weldehaimanot Andemariam noted in a statement on Sunday, labelling him as a symbol of excellence in African refereeing.“His [Artan’s] presence at our flagship competition reflects the high standards that CECAFA is committed to promoting, and we are proud that one of our own continues to represent Africa with distinction on the world stage.”
The 2025 CAF Men’s Best referee will in the final work alongside Kenyan official Stephen Yiembe and Liban Abdulrazack of Djibouti, who will serve as his two assistants.Somali match official Omar Artan appointed UEFA Super Cup referee. The confirmation of the trio thus means CECAFA has deployed the same combination of officials, who are also expected to oversee the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, which will take place on Wednesday, 12 August in Salzburg, Austria between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa.
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As per CECAFA, the three officials are expected to arrive in Kigali on Tuesday, 4 August, the day when the semifinals of the Kagame Cup take place. After a week of action, only four teams remain in the competition, namely: record Kenya Premier League champions Gor Mahia, Sudanese giants Al Hilal, Jamus of South Sudan, and Rayon Sport of Rwanda. In the semis, Gor Mahia will take on Al Hilal at 1600 EAT, before Jamus take on hosts Rayon Sport on the same day at 2000 EAT.
Injury crisis threatens to extend Gor Mahia’s 41-year wait for CECAFA Kagame Cup gloryThe winner of the tournament will pocket US$30,000 (Ksh3.8 million), while the runner-up takes US$20,000 (Ksh2.5 million), and the third-placed team US$10,000 (Ksh1.28 million).