German giants Bayern Munich and Dutch powerhouse Ajax will headline the opening of Kenya’s 60,000-seat Raila Odinga International Stadium with a high-profile friendly in Nairobi on January 5, 2027. President William Ruto announced the fixture on Wednesday, describing it as a landmark moment for Kenyan football and a major step in the country’s sporting ambitions. “Come 5th January 2027, we will open this stadium with a historic match between two giants of European football, FC Bayern Munich of Germany and FC Ajax of Amsterdam,” Ruto said. The two clubs have won Europe’s premier club competition a combined 10 times, with Bayern claiming six titles and Ajax four. “There is a quiet poetry in this fixture,” Ruto added, linking Bayern’s German roots to the late former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga, whose name the stadium bears, and Ajax’s long-standing reputation for developing young football talent. A 60,000-seat sporting landmark Located at Jamhuri Grounds along Ngong Road in Nairobi, Raila Odinga International Stadium, formerly known as Talanta Stadium, is Kenya’s first purpose-built football and rugby facility. According to Ruto, it is also the country’s first international stadium built since Kasarani opened in 1987. The facility features a hybrid playing surface, 52 skyboxes, video assistant referee (VAR) technology and goal-line technology. It is expected to play a central role in Kenya’s preparations to co-host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) alongside Tanzania and Uganda. Parliamentary updates have put construction progress at approximately 94 per cent, although technical and operational preparations remain necessary before the stadium is fully ready. Ruto said the facility was designed to provide a world-class venue for international sport while creating broader economic opportunities. “This is more than the opening of a stadium. It is a statement of who we are, and most importantly, who we are becoming,” he said. He added that the stadium would help create jobs, attract investment, boost tourism and provide young athletes with a venue worthy of their talent. Commercial model and AFCON 2027 Ruto said the Bayern Munich-Ajax fixture would be organised through corporate partnerships and a commercially sustainable model aimed at attracting private investment and generating revenue. The match will also offer Nairobi an international showcase as Kenya steps up preparations for AFCON 2027, which the country will co-host with its East African neighbours under the Pamoja banner. The President urged Kenyans to view the stadium as an investment in the country’s sporting future, particularly for young people seeking pathways into professional sport. “Kenya is ready to welcome the world, and Africa is ready for greatness,” he said. The January 5 encounter is expected to bring two of Europe’s most recognisable clubs to Nairobi for the inauguration of a venue intended to become a major hub for football and other sporting events.
