Many Kenyan football fans went gaga when President William Ruto announced on Wednesday that German giants FC Bayern Munich will face Dutch’s champions AFC Ajax at Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi on January 5, 2027, when the facility is inaugurated.
As some fans marveled at the alluring prospect, both Bayern and Ajax announced they would indeed be meeting in Nairobi during their winter break.
And so, two European heavyweights will strut their stuff on Kenyan soil at the most modern sports facility in Kenya and in honour of the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Bayern Munich's Harry Kane celebrates scoring a goal against VfB Stuttgart in the DFB Cup Final at Olympiastadion in Berlin on May 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Reuters
In 1968, the then reigning English FA Cup champions West Bromwich Albion became the first top tier team in Europe to visit Kenya.
Albion, then under the tutelage of the late English manager Alan Ashman, toured the East African region, courtesy of Guinness Overseas and Nation Newspapers.
The English side was at full strength with deadly centre forward Jeff Astle among the stars in the team. Astle was then warming up to travel with England to Mexico for the 1970 World Cup.
In their first match against Kenya on June 1, 1968 at Joe Kadenge Stadium (then Nairobi City Stadium), Albion rallied from behind to win 2-1. The teams faced off again on June 8, 1968 at the same venue with the visitors winning 4-3.
Coventry City would have become the second English side to play in Kenya but their 1971 tour was scrapped due to a last minute hitch. The tour was sponsored by Nation Newspapers and Kenya Breweries, with the visitors scheduled to play their first match against Mombasa Combined on May 26.
Another fixture was organised on short notice, this time featuring Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. The German side featured star Jurgen Grabowski who went on to play in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
Frankfurt beat Harambee Stars 3-0 on June 16, 1971 at Nairobi City Stadium. Frankfurt striker Bernd Holzenbein scored one of the fastest international goals on Kenyan soil when he struck just 15 seconds after kick-off.
Adeniran Dennis (left) of Everton shields the ball from Duke Abuya of Kariobangi Sharks during their SportPesa Cup match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi on July 7, 2019. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
The tour was organised to coincide with a series of coaching seminars led by then top ranked Fifa coach Dettmar Carmer.
As part of their preparations for their maiden Africa Nations Cup (Afcon) in 1972 in Cameroon, Harambee Stars played Switzerland champions Grasshoppers Club Zurich FC and Denmark’s Vejle Boldklub in Kenya. The Grasshoppers squad included four internationals.
Kenya thumped Vejle 6-1 in the first encounter on February 12, 1972 at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru.
The two teams drew 1-1 in their second match played at Kisumu Municipal Stadium (now Moi Stadium) a day later. The last match held at Nairobi City Stadium on February 16, 1972 ended in a 2-2 draw.
Then English regulars Norwich City came calling in 1975. Amidst claims of witchcraft in Kenyan football, then Kenya Football Federation (KFF) chairman Kenneth Matiba touted the visit as his fight against the nether forces.
Hesbone Omolo (right) of Gor Mahia tussles with Norwich City players during their friendly match at Nairobi's City Stadium in 1975.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Featuring 1966 World Cup hero Martin Peters, Norwich thrashed Gor Mahia 4-1 and Abaluhya FC (now AFC Leopards) 6-1 at Nairobi City Stadium.
The English side then travelled to Mombasa where they crushed Coast’s top side Mwenge 8-0 and 3-1 at Mombasa Municipal Stadium in their back-to-back meetings. Mwenge had declared that they would use witchcraft to stop the visitors.
The Daily Nation's headline the following day screamed: “Mwenge ‘succeed’ in losing narrowly to Norwich.
On May 28, 1976, another English side Notts County arrived in Nairobi for a four-match tour. The visitors defeated AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia 2-0 and 1-0 respectively at Nairobi City Stadium. In Mombasa, the ‘Magpies’ lost to Mwenge and Kenya Breweries 2-1 and 2-0 respectively.
After that visit, Kenya experienced a long spell without a tour by a European side until well into the new millennium.
Gor Mahia's Francis Kahata challenges Daniel Batty of Hull City during a friendly match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani in Nairobi on May 13, 2018.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
In 2018, Gor lost 4-3 on penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw against English Championship side Hull City in a promotional match at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. The match was organised by gaming firm SportPesa.
The following year at the same venue, Kariobangi Sharks beat Everton 4-3 in penalties following a 1-1 draw in regular time in a fixture organised by Kenyan Premier League sponsors SportPesa.
The Everton squad had several big names, including England’s speedy forward Theo Walcott. The Bayern versus Ajax clash will easily be the biggest of them all.
