Bayern Munich, Ajax to headline opening of Raila Odinga Stadium in January

German football giants Bayern Munich and Dutch powerhouse Ajax will face off in Nairobi on January 5, 2027, in the inaugural match at the 60,000-seater Raila Odinga International Stadium.

President William Ruto announced the high-profile fixture on Wednesday as he outlined the significance of the new facility, formerly known as Talanta Stadium, and its role in Kenya’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 President noted that the clubs have won Europe’s top club competition a combined ten times, describing the fixture as a landmark moment for Kenyan football.

“There is a quiet poetry in this fixture,” he 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.

The stadium, located at Jamhuri Grounds along Ngong Road in Nairobi, is Kenya’s first purpose-built football and rugby facility and the first international stadium built by the country since Kasarani opened in 1987, according to the President.

The facility features a hybrid playing surface, 52 skyboxes, video assistant referee 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 alongside Tanzania and Uganda.

Parliamentary updates have placed construction at approximately 94 per cent, while noting that technical and operational preparations remain necessary ahead of full readiness.

Ruto said the stadium was built to provide a world-class venue for international sport and to create wider economic opportunities for Kenyans.

“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 facility would help create jobs, attract investment, grow tourism and give young athletes a venue worthy of their talent.

The President said the Bayern Munich–Ajax match would be delivered through corporate partnerships and a commercially sustainable model, with the aim of attracting private investment and generating revenue.

The fixture will also serve as an international showcase for Nairobi as Kenya intensifies preparations for AFCON 2027, which the country will co-host with its East African neighbors under the Pamoja banner.

Ruto 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 recognizable clubs to Nairobi for the opening of a venue intended to become a major centre for football and other sporting events.