Talanta Stadium to open with FC Bayern versus AFC Ajax match

Six-time European champions FC Bayern Munich of Germany will face Dutch champions AFC Ajax on January 5, 2027, in a match to officially open the Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi, President William Ruto has announced.

FC Bayern Munich described the event as an international football festival celebrating the game across Africa.

"The aim of the event is to build up anticipation for the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania in the summer of 2027. This will be the first time the tournament has been held across three countries, and it marks its return to East Africa after more than 50 years," a statement from the club said on Wednesday.

"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. For many years, we have consistently maintained a presence in America and Asia with our ‘Audi Summer Tour’. 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."

President William Ruto announced on Wednesday that the 60,000-seater ultramodern stadium will host the match during its opening. 

In a recorded address, President Ruto said that as he had promised, the arena will be named after the late Prime Minister Raila Odinga, coming days after marking one year since his death.

The President noted that both the Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam invites were poetic as Raila Odinga studied Engineering in Germany while the Dutch club had built its greatness from developing young talent.

The President said that the two European giants share a rich footballing history with both having won the Uefa Champions League trophy several times. Bayern have six titles and Ajax four.

The construction of Raila Odinga International Stadium that has cost the government Sh45.85 billion started on March 1, 2024, with a groundbreaking ceremony held on the same day at the Jamhuri Ground along Ngong Road in Nairobi.

Raila Odinga, who moved to Germany in 1962, graduated with a Master of Science (MSc) degree in Mechanical Engineering. The President noted that it will be a multi-purpose stadium for football and rugby.

The stadium will host the World Rugby Sevens Division II from January 23 to 24 next year.

The Raila Odinga International Stadium will be Kenya's flagship venue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

Kenya will co-host the gigantic African football bonanza jointly with Uganda and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17. The other designated arena is the Moi International Stadium, Kasarani that is still under renovations. “Two years ago, I promised the people of Kenya a world class stadium, where the greatest teams in the world would come to play and today, we are keeping that promise,” said the President.

“What was an open ground now stands a house of 60,000 seats. It’s a cathedral of sport, a monument of steel, concrete and light,” said the President Ruto, who is currently in Moscow, Russia for the Third Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum.

“We marked a year some days ago since we lost one of Kenya’s greatest sons, the honorable Raila Amolo Odinga…he loved football, stood at the stands, cheered and enjoyed football with people. It’s therefore fitting that this stadium carried his name,” said the President.

President Ruto said it marked 40 years since the country had a state-of-the art stadium with the last being the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani that was opened in 1987 for the 1987 African Games.

The Bayern versus Ajax match will come bang in the middle of the European football league season.

President Ruto said the match will be sponsored by corporate partners.

European giants playing matches in Africa is not uncommon.

Manchester United concluded their African tour on July 28, 2008, with a 2-1 victory over fellow English Premier League side Portsmouth in Nigeria.

At the time, Portsmouth were the FA Cup holders, while United had been crowned Premier League champions.

United toured South Africa in July 2006, playing three matches, including a Vodacom Challenge encounter against Orlando Pirates at Absa Stadium in Durban.

Big name players Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Wes Brown, Kieran Richardson and Darren Fletcher were among the regulars who featured in the club's friendly matches during the tour.

In 2012, Man United returned to South Africa, playing AmaZulu FC in Durban on July 18 before travelling to Cape Town to face Ajax Cape Town three days later. The match against AmaZulu was staged at the 54,000-capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium.

Arsenal played an exhibition match against Nigeria's Super Eagles in Abuja in June 2012. The match was organised by Danjan Sports.

And right here in Kenya, a Premiership club came calling.

English club Everton played Gor Mahia at Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on July 13.

Everton won 2-1, with Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney scoring on his return to his boyhood club. The match was funded by SportPesa, which sponsored both teams, although the amount invested was not publicly disclosed.

Two years later, Everton returned to Kasarani to face Kariobangi Sharks in another historic pre-season friendly on July 7, 2019.

The match ended 1-1 after regulation time, before Everton won 4-3 in the penalty shootout.

Football stars

Kenyan will get the chance to watch recently crowned Ballon d’Or winner Englishman Harry Kane and the talented French forward Michael Olise of Bayern.

Other top Bayern stars are midfielders Jamal Musalia and Joshua Kimmick and forward Luis Diaz

Both Bayern Munich and Ajax Amsterdam also announced on social media platforms that they will open the New Year 2027 with an African clash in Nairobi.

Bayern Munich wrote on Facebook page: “A special match to kick off the new year: FC Bayern travels to Nairobi on January 5, 2027, and will face Ajax Amsterdam as part of the ceremonial opening of the new national stadium, Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City.”

“We’re proud to announce that we will face FC Bayern in the opening match of the new Raila Odinga International Stadium at Talanta Sports City in Nairobi, Kenya,” said AFC Ajax on their Facebook page.

The two teams have met 10 times in official competitive matches and have exchanged three wins with four draws. They last met in the Uefa Champions League group stages on December 12, 2018, drawing 3-3.

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