Top Kenyan referees Gilbert Cheruiyot and Stephen Yiembe have been appointed to officiate at the prestigious CAF Champions League 2024/25 final, scheduled for Sunday, June 1, 2025, at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
Cheruiyot will serve as the First Assistant Referee, while Yiembe has been named the Second Assistant Referee for the continental showdown between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.
Both officials bring extensive experience to the final, having officiated in major CAF and FIFA tournaments including FIFA World Cup qualifiers, the Olympics, Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), AFCON qualifiers, and previous CAF Champions League matches.
Cheruiyot, Kenya’s longest-serving FIFA assistant referee since 2013, has also officiated at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and multiple AFCON tournaments.
Stephen Yiembe, similarly seasoned, has earned further recognition with his selection for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, to be held in the United States from June 14 to July 13, 2025.
He is the sole representative from the CECAFA region for this global tournament and has officiated at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and the AFCON U-23 final in 2023.
The appointment of Cheruiyot and Yiembe to the CAF Champions League final underscores Kenya’s growing prominence in African football officiating. Their roles in such high-profile matches reflect their professionalism and the trust placed in them by CAF and FIFA.
The CAF Champions League final, kicking off at 8:00 p.m. East Africa Time, promises to be a thrilling encounter, with the Kenyan referees playing a crucial role in ensuring fair play and smooth conduct of the game.
By Samson Jura
