Two European heavyweights will open Nairobi's 60,000-seater on January 5, a major step on Kenya's road to AFCON 2027.
Kenya's AFCON 2027 dream just got its biggest stage yet. Ajax Amsterdam and Bayern Munich will open the brand-new, 60,000-capacity Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi with a friendly on January 5, bringing two of Europe's most recognisable badges to East Africa.
Both clubs confirmed the fixture on Wednesday, and the match is being framed as a landmark moment for the host nation. Kenya will co-host the continental showpiece alongside Tanzania and Uganda, and the Nairobi venue is a central piece of that puzzle. The tournament is scheduled to run from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
Ajax called the occasion the opening of a special new stadium in front of a huge African audience, a meeting between two major names in international football and a defining moment for Kenya on the road to the Africa Cup of Nations. For Kenyan supporters, it means a rare chance to watch elite European opposition on home soil, in a ground built for the biggest nights.
The timing carries real weight for the region. AFCON 2027 will mark the competition's return to East Africa for the first time since Ethiopia hosted in 1976. With Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda jointly staging a 24-team tournament, this friendly doubles as a first public test of the atmosphere, the logistics and the appetite for football in the region.
