Kenyan Referee Earns Club World Cup Call-Up In The US
Kenya will be represented at the first-ever 32-team Club World Cup in the United States, with referee Stephen Yiembe earning a coveted berth among the match officials.
Yiembe, who has steadily risen through the ranks of match officials, is the only referee from East Africa to make the cut.
The referee is one of 117 officials that will oversee matches at the Club World Cup, which will take place from June 14 to July 13, 2025.
Yiembe will be one of many linesmen presiding at the competition, which will include worldwide players such as Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.
Notably, this will be Yiembe’s third big tournament appearance since the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Kenyan referee Stephen Yiembe has been named among the 117 match officials selected by FIFA for the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States, scheduled to run from June 14 to July 13.#FootballKE pic.twitter.com/ukiTNtoBkd
— Ole Teya (@TeyaKevin) April 14, 2025
His other significant competition was the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Yiembe has previously overseen the AFCON U23 final between Morocco and Egypt in July 2023.
According to FIFA, the match officials were selected after a rigorous preparation process that includes global seminars and technical training sessions.
This method ensured that only the most qualified match officials were chosen for the historic tournament.
Yiembe will join an elite group of 117 match officials from 41 member associations, including 35 referees, 58 assistant referees, and 24 video officials.
Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, commented on the nomination of Yiembe and other officials, saying the match officials were fortunate to be participating in the new-look FIFA Club World Cup.
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“As every new competition starts, the selected referees are among those who have the privilege to be part of this for the first time,” he said.
He added: “We are coming from high-standard performances delivered during the last FIFA tournaments. So the bar is higher… But we are working very hard, and Team One will make a solid contribution to the success of this exciting competition.”
At the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, 32 of the world’s best clubs will fight for the coveted title of Club World Champions.
The teams, drawn from six confederations, will play matches in 12 stadiums across 11 host cities in the United States.
Kenyan Referee Earns Club World Cup Call-Up In The US
