The Government has revealed that at least 5,000 fans of Bayern Munich and Ajax are expected to travel to Kenya for the highly anticipated exhibition match between the two European giants at the Raila Odinga International Stadium on January 5, 2027.Sports Principal Secretary Elijah Mwangi disclosed that the two clubs had requested the reservation of at least 5,000 tickets for their supporters, who are expected to fly into the country to witness the historic encounter.##NAJAVA_MECA_10087380##The match will serve as the exhibition fixture for the opening of the 60,000-seater Raila Odinga International Stadium, which has been under construction for the past two years and is earmarked as Kenya's main venue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which the country will co-host with Tanzania and Uganda.Speaking about the expected turnout and economic benefits, Mwangi said the visiting supporters would provide a significant boost to Kenya's tourism sector and economy.Kenyan athlete latest to land deal with Swiss sports brand“The team has requested that we reserve at least 5,000 tickets for them, and they are going to buy them for themselves. These are reserved for their fans. This means, therefore at least 5,000 people will be coming to Kenya so that they can participate and follow up on these games. What does that mean? It translates to economic, tourism, marketing, and investment,” he stated.Mwangi also highlighted the global reach of the two clubs, noting that their combined following of more than 300 million people presented Kenya with an opportunity to market itself to a massive international audience.“The benefits, the impact is enormous. Number one, this team has followers in excess of 300 million. Now, these 300 million will be looking forward to seeing what Kenya has to offer in terms of sports, in terms of its tourism, in terms of its culture, and some of them may be interested to come particularly or later on,” he said.STARS ABROAD: Harambee Stars defender benched again as Wrexham topple Middlesbrough“The economic impact has been seen to be in terms of billions.”Beyond the economic gains, the Sports PS said the fixture would provide exposure for Kenyan football and potentially open doors for local players to secure opportunities abroad.“Number two, our team will be exposed, and we have an opportunity also to have our Kenyan players get an opportunity to be picked so that they can also participate or be recruited to play at that international level,” he added.Mwangi also moved to dispel speculation that Bayern Munich and Ajax could send reserve or veterans' sides, insisting that both clubs would bring their senior teams for the encounter.“I want to assure Kenyans that the team that will be coming is the first team, is the main team,” he affirmed.How Nairobi United beat Kenya Police to secure Bajaber's signatureOn the financing of the event, Mwangi maintained that no government funds would be used, revealing that strategic partners had come on board to support the initiative and market Kenya.“The Government of Kenya have not contributed towards this. We have strategic partners who have come on board and we are supporting them to market Kenya,” he said.He further expressed optimism that the event would generate a surplus, which would be channelled towards supporting the country's preparations for AFCON 2027.“And from our analysis, we shall have a surplus from this event, which shall go towards assisting in our preparations of AFCON.”FKF President targets 2031 Women's World Cup qualification with new Harambee Starlets strategy