The highly respected match official landed at Kigali International Airport on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, as preparations continue for the tournament’s showpiece match.
On August 2, 2026, the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (CECAFA) announced the officiating team for the final, confirming Artan as the center referee.
The final is scheduled for Friday, August 7, 2026, at Amahoro Stadium. It will pit Kenya’s Gor Mahia against the winner of the semifinal between Rwanda’s Rayon Sports and South Sudan’s Jamus FC.
Artan made history in 2025 by becoming Africa’s highest-ranked referee and was initially selected to officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a milestone that would have made him the first Somali referee to officiate at football’s biggest tournament.
However, he was later removed from FIFA’s final list of World Cup referees after reportedly being denied entry through Miami International Airport in the United States.
For the CECAFA Kagame Cup final, Artan will be assisted by Liban Abdulrazack of Djibouti and Eliezer Stephen Yiembe of Kenya as assistant referees.
The same trio has also been appointed to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria, where Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain. Both clubs have sponsorship partnerships with Rwanda through the “Visit Rwanda” brand.
The appointment reflects CECAFA’s confidence in one of Africa’s most accomplished refereeing teams for one of the region’s biggest football matches.
