Uefa has announced that Somali referee Omar Artan will make history in Salzburg by becoming the first non-European official to take charge of the annual Super Cup. Artan will take charge of the match between PSG and Aston Villa at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday, assisted by Liban Abdoulrazack Ahmed (Djibouti) and Stephen Eleazar Onyango Yiembe (Kenya).
Artan's journey to the Super Cup has not been without its challenges. He was denied entry at Miami international airport on 6 June, a decision that was made due to Somalia being one of 12 countries on a travel ban list introduced by the US last year. Artan has prepared for the match by taking charge of league games in Somalia and the Kuwaiti Premier League.
In an interview with Uefa, Artan spoke about his preparation for the match, stating that referees go through a lot of preparation in terms of getting to know the teams. He also mentioned that he likes watching European football and does a lot of research on the teams, including their behaviours and tactics.
The match between PSG and Aston Villa is set to take place at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg on Wednesday.