Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam will play the first football match at Kenya’s new 60,000-seat Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City in Nairobi on 5 January 2027, President William Ruto has announced.
The special match marks the grand opening of the stadium and is meant to build anticipation for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya co-hosts with Uganda and Tanzania from 19 June to 17 July 2027.
Bayern’s squad includes Harry Kane, who won the Ballon d’Or on 26 October at a ceremony in London and is the first Englishman in 25 years to do so.
It will be Bayern’s first visit to Kenya. The game falls in the Bundesliga winter break and is the final part of Ajax’s preparations for the second half of the season.
Ajax say they are “honoured to have been invited”.
Tickets go on sale on 5 November at talantasportscity.com.
Bayern Munich’s board member for marketing and sales Rouven Kasper said: “FC Bayern has millions of fantastic fans in Africa with whom we feel a close connection – it’s a continent with a huge passion for football.
“Now we have a new opportunity to further strengthen our connection with our fans in Africa too, to allow people to experience FC Bayern first-hand and to underline our club’s international appeal.”
The arena is Kenya’s first purpose-built football stadium and is designed to meet CAF Category 4 standards. It will also host rugby.
It has 52 fully glazed, climate-controlled VIP skyboxes and a hybrid pitch of Bermuda grass stitched with synthetic fibres. The complex will also have extra training pitches, and roads and a railway station beside it are under construction.
Construction began on 1 March 2024 and is led by China Road and Bridge Corporation. Handover has slipped more than once, but the Ministry reported works above 90% complete in August.
The stadium will host the opening leg of the 2027 HSBC SVNS 2 sevens series on 23-24 January.
Kenya hopes to stage either the AFCON 2027 opening or closing ceremony at the new stadium. Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, is the second Kenyan venue.
It seats 48,000 and is being renovated, including a rebuilt pitch and six hospitality skyboxes.
Ajax, four-time European champions under coach Míchel Sánchez, are famed for producing top talent.
The club also has a Kenyan link in Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy, who began his European career there before moving on to Celta Vigo and FC Porto and winning the 2004 Champions League under José Mourinho. Bayern have won the Champions League six times.
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