Talanta Sports Stadium is the announced venue for the January 2027 friendly between Bayern Munich and Ajax.
President William Ruto says the European clubs will play on January 5, 2027, as Kenya prepares to co-host the Africa Cup of Nations.
President William Ruto has announced a Bayern vs Ajax friendly at Nairobi’s Talanta Sports Stadium on January 5, 2027. The match will form part of the opening activities for the 60,000-seat venue.
Ajax has also confirmed the fixture through its official X account, while ticketing preparations remain at an early stage. The stadium is undergoing finishing work ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Bayern vs Ajax to mark stadium opening
Ruto said the friendly would inaugurate the stadium by bringing together two clubs with ten European championship titles. Bayern Munich account for six of those triumphs, while Ajax Amsterdam have won four.
The president also linked the German club’s planned visit to Raila Odinga, who studied in Germany. In his announcement, Ruto described the venue as a stadium bearing Odinga’s name.
Meanwhile, he highlighted Ajax’s tradition of developing young players through its academy. He connected that history to the name Talanta, which means talent, and the opportunities sport can create.
Corporate partnerships to support the fixture
Ruto said corporate partnerships and a self-sustaining commercial model would support the match. He presented the arrangement as a way for major sporting events to attract private investment and generate revenue.
He also said that approach could create lasting opportunities for Kenyans. However, ticketing arrangements remain in their early stages, with the announcement establishing the date and venue for the friendly.
The clubs bring substantial domestic records alongside their European achievements. Bayern have collected 33 Bundesliga titles, compared with Ajax’s 36 championships in the Dutch Eredivisie.
Bayern’s European titles came in 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013 and 2020. Ajax, meanwhile, won the competition in 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1995.
Talanta prepares for football and rugby
The January fixture will come ahead of Kenya’s joint hosting of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. Uganda and Tanzania will also host the continental tournament alongside Kenya.
Talanta therefore forms part of preparations for a wider programme of international sport. Beyond football, the stadium is set to host the first leg of Division 2 of the World Rugby Series later in January.
