European football giants Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam will headline the official opening of Kenya’s new Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi on January 5, 2027, as East Africa steps up preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).
Kenya’s President William Ruto announced the high-profile friendly on Wednesday evening, which will bring two of Europe’s most successful clubs to the 60,000-seater facility, built as part of Kenya’s preparations to co-host the continental showpiece with Uganda and Tanzania.
The match will offer a major international test for the stadium ahead of Afcon, scheduled for June 19 to July 17, 2027 and provide a platform for Kenya to showcase its sporting infrastructure to a global audience.
‘Come January 5, 2027, we will open this new modern historic match between two giants of European football, FC Bayern of Germany and AFC Ajax of Amsterdam,’ Ruto said in a recorded address released at 6pm.
The fixture will pit Bayern, Germany’s record champions, against Dutch record champions Ajax in a meeting between clubs with rich European histories. The two sides have collectively won the European Cup and Uefa Champions League 10 times.
Hybrid playing surface
Bayern’s board member for marketing and sales, Rouven Kasper, said the occasion would strengthen the club’s connection with its millions of supporters across Africa.
‘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,’ Kasper said.
The encounter will also serve as a final test in preparations for the second half of the two clubs’ season that will fall under the winter break.
The stadium, also known as Talanta Stadium, began construction in March 2024. Ruto described it as Kenya’s first purpose-built football and rugby stadium and the country’s first international stadium built since Kasarani in 1987.
The facility features a hybrid playing surface, 52 sky boxes, video assistant refereeing (VAR) and goal-line technology, according to the President.
Ruto also linked the venue to the legacy of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, saying the late leader’s love for football made the naming appropriate. He further drew a connection between Ajax’s youth development tradition and ‘Talanta’, the Swahili word for talent.
The January spectacle will offer Uganda and Tanzania an early glimpse of the infrastructure and ambitions of its co-hosts as the three East African nations prepare to stage Afcon together for the first time.
Already, Kenya is leading the calls for the prestigious and all-important final match to be played at the new facility as Uganda and Tanzania race to upgrade the Namboole and Benjamin Mkapa Stadiums to meet the standards.