Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate UEFA Super Cup final

Somali referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been appointed to officiate the UEFA Super Cup final between Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa on August 12 in Salzburg, Austria, the European football governing body announced Wednesday.

The appointment comes after Artan was denied entry to the United States last week when he was scheduled to participate in the World Cup. UEFA said the decision to assign Artan to the Super Cup was made following discussions with the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

PSG qualified for the final as winners of the Champions League, while Aston Villa advanced as winners of the Europa League. The match will be contested between the two European club competition champions.

UEFA emphasized that despite his relatively young age, Artan "has established himself as one of the best referees in the world." The organization noted the appointment was made within the framework of a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between UEFA and CAF to promote cooperation between the two confederations.

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin said in a statement that Artan is "an excellent young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest competition level of the Confederation of African Football." Ceferin added that "Football is made to connect people, and Uefa wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills, which had earned him such a" position.

Artan became a FIFA-listed referee in 2018 and has since gained experience officiating at the highest levels of African football competition. His appointment to the Super Cup represents a significant assignment in European club football's calendar.