Category: Sports

Kenyans will have a chance to buy tickets early for the blockbuster friendly between Bayern Munich and Ajax at Talanta Stadium.

Kenyans will be able to buy tickets early for the friendly match pitting Bayern Munich against Ajax Amsterdam at Talanta Stadium in January.

President William Ruto announced on Wednesday that six-time European champions Bayern and four-time Champions League winners Ajax will clash in Nairobi on January 5 during the official opening of the ultra-modern 60,000-seater stadium.

Bayern and Ajax have since confirmed their participation, expressing excitement that they will be able to connect with their fans in Africa.

Tickets for the match will go on sale two months early, after the German Embassy in Kenya stated that fans will start purchasing them from November 5.

Bayern Munich is coming to Nairobi! 🇩🇪⚽🇰🇪 Germany’s record champions FC Bayern will face Ajax Amsterdam at the new Raila Odinga International Stadium on 5 January 2027! We might be a little biased about who we’re cheering for. 😉🔴⚪ 🎟️ Tickets on sale from 5 November! https://t.co/cmlkUNQhgZ

“Bayern Munich is coming to Nairobi! Germany’s record champions FC Bayern will face Ajax Amsterdam at the new Raila Odinga International Stadium on 5 January 2027.We might be a little biased about who we’re cheering for. Tickets on sale from 5 November!” the Embassy stated via a social media post.

However, ticket prices for the game have not been made public but fans can expect a higher amount than the average paid during FKF Premier League and Harambee Stars games where they range between Ksh300 and Ksh500 for terraces.

It will be the first meeting between Bayern and Ajax since a pre-season game in July 2021 when they played out a 2-2 draw.

Over the years, Bayern and Ajax have faced off 11 times with three wins for each side while five matches ended in draws.

Michael Carrick has been handed a reprieve by Manchester United ahead of their clash with Chelsea but he appears to have lost the dressing room.

Michael Carrick will remain in the Manchester United dugout for Saturday's critical Premier League trip to Chelsea, earning a temporary lifeline despite mounting pressure on his position.

The 44-year-old manager appeared on the brink of dismissal following Sunday's dismal 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth. However, the Old Trafford hierarchy has opted to afford Carrick and his squad an opportunity to halt their alarming slide.

Chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox convened at the club's Carrington training complex on Monday to deliberate Carrick's future. While alternative options—including Newcastle's Eddie Howe and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann—have been under consideration, Carrick oversaw first-team training on Tuesday and will take charge at Stamford Bridge.

United head to west London enduring a miserable eight-match winless streak in all competitions. The 13-time Premier League champions are languishing in 16th place, sitting just two spots and a solitary point above the relegation zone.

A daunting schedule awaits Carrick should he survive the weekend. United host Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, November 3, before entertaining Aston Villa in the league on Sunday, November 8.

Michael Carrick is still in charge of Man United. Image: Imago

Despite Sunday's capitulation, the Old Trafford faithful directed their ire towards the squad rather than the head coach, cheering Carrick off the pitch while heavily booing the players.

Carrick faces a significant selection headache regarding Bruno Fernandes. The club captain was relegated to the bench against Bournemouth after openly questioning the coaching staff's tactical setup following a humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat to Italian side Como.

Carrick must now determine whether to recall the Portuguese playmaker against Xabi Alonso's Chelsea, who currently sit fifth despite a recent 2-0 derby loss to Tottenham.

Carrick originally stepped into the role on an interim basis in January 2026 following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim. An impressive run of 12 victories in 17 matches guided United to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification, securing him the permanent position on May 22.

Should the board decide to pull the trigger, it would mark the third mid-season managerial sacking under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's sporting leadership, following the departures of Erik ten Hag and Amorim.

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick. Image: Imago

Reacting to the news, former United defender Gary Neville admitted he was stunned by the decision to stick with Carrick, despite welcoming the board's patience.

"I am surprised, but I am happy because I was absolutely certain that what I witnessed on Sunday would be the end of Michael," Neville told Sky Sports.

"It looked like he was walking round at the end on his own… almost like a goodbye lap. I hope he can somehow get those players to start playing for him again because they haven't in recent weeks."

However, Sky Sports News reporter Rob Dorsett suggested the reprieve merely postpones an unavoidable outcome.

"We all expected this to be the end for Carrick," Dorsett said. "This isn't a vote of confidence. It feels like an impossible situation, especially trying to coach players like Bruno Fernandes after public criticism. It feels like delaying the inevitable."

The former Kenyan skipper has lauded his ex-Tottenham teammate after he beat stiff competition to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or Award.

Former Harambee Stars and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama has paid tribute to his ex-teammate Harry Kane after the England captain claimed the prestigious Ballon d’Or award in London.

The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker edged out Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé to secure football’s highest individual prize. In doing so, Kane became the first English player to lift the golden trophy since Michael Owen in 2001.

Reacting to the announcement, Wanyama commended his former colleague, stating that the milestone was completely justified given Kane's extraordinary consistency at the top level.

“Congratulations, brother, totally deserved,” Wanyama posted in social media.

The pair shared the pitch in north London between 2016 and 2020 during Mauricio Pochettino’s memorable tenure. That Spurs squad challenged on multiple fronts, finishing as Premier League runners-up in the 2016/17 campaign before falling 2-0 to Liverpool in the 2019 UEFA Champions League final.

Wanyama has frequently highlighted the England international's elite standards, once noting: "Harry’s finishing is second to none. He showed that every day in training—incredibly clinical and unlike any striker I have ever seen. Beyond that, he is the ultimate professional who makes the right decisions, with an elite understanding of the game and exceptional movement off the ball."

Kane parted ways with Tottenham in 2023 as their record all-time goalscorer, having cemented his status as one of English football’s most lethal forwards despite never lifting team silverware with the club.

His switch to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich revitalised his pursuit of major honours. A staggering return of 73 goals in 65 appearances across all competitions for club and country over the past season provided an undeniable foundation for his Ballon d’Or crowning, capping a journey from heartbreak in cup finals to the pinnacle of world football.

The Bayern Munich forward captured the 2027 Ballon d’Or Award but which other Englishman has captured the accolade?

Harry Kane has etched his name into football history after claiming the 2026 Ballon d'Or at a prestigious ceremony in London.

Marking the 70th edition of the award, the England captain became only the fifth Englishman ever to collect the sport's highest individual accolade, ending a 25-year drought for his country.

The honour rewarded the most prolific individual campaign of Kane's career. Finishing as the top goalscorer across Europe, the forward registered a staggering 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country.

His 61 goals for Bayern Munich propelled the German side to a domestic sweep of the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. On the international stage, Kane contributed 12 goals as he captained the Three Lions to a third-place finish at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Sir Stanley Matthews became the inaugural recipient of the European Footballer of the Year award in 1956. The Blackpool winger pipped Real Madrid icons Alfredo Di Stefano and Raymond Kopa to the prize after inspiring his club to second place in the First Division—their highest league finish in a quarter of a century. At 41 years of age, Matthews remains the oldest winner in the history of the award.

A decade later, Sir Bobby Charlton became the second English player to receive the honour in 1966. The Manchester United talisman was recognised after orchestrating England's triumph at the 1966 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

Charlton netted three goals during the tournament, including a decisive brace in the 2-1 semi-final victory over Portugal, before earning a spot in the Team of the Tournament as the hosts overcame West Germany 4-2 in the final.

Kevin Keegan joined the exclusive list in 1978 while playing abroad for Hamburg. The forward retained the crown in 1979 after leading the German club to their first Bundesliga championship since 1960.

Keegan remains the only Englishman to have captured the Ballon d'Or in back-to-back years, aided by a 17-goal league haul in 1978-79 that featured 11 strikes in the final 12 fixtures.

Michael Owen became the fourth English winner in 2001 following a remarkable campaign with Liverpool.

Owen played a pivotal role in Liverpool collecting five major trophies that calendar year, including an FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Cup treble. His defining moments included a dramatic late brace to defeat Arsenal 2-1 in the FA Cup final, as well as a historic hat-trick in England's 5-1 World Cup qualifier victory against Germany in Munich.

Owen finished ahead of Real Madrid's Raul and Bayern Munich goalkeeper Oliver Kahn to become the first Liverpool player to lift the trophy.

FKF president Hussein Mohammed has refused to back down on his hardline stance over the need for sanity within the Kenyan football leadership.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Hussein Mohammed has hit back at elements within his administration who are reading from different scripts.

The FKF boss has been at loggerheads with a section of his Nations Executive Committee members, led by vice president McDonald Mariga, with both sides trading blame over a number of issues affecting Kenyan football.

This has divided the federation’s leadership in the middle but Mohammed maintains that he is in charge and will not let others rock the boat and derail his quest to develop the game.

FKF boss Hussein Mohammed and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

While attending the inaugural 2026 FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival being staged at the Hovsan Competition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan, Mohammed reiterated the need for steady progress in Kenya, but warned that it will not be possible if others are pulling in a different direction.

"There are no short cuts. We must immediately build our high-performance technical centers and pitches for schools and our local communities across the country,” said Mohammed, who had a meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino on the sidelines of the tournament.

“All leagues and competitions at every level, for both boys and girls, must be strengthened. We must successfully commercialise football if it is to become a viable economic pillar for our youth and the sports ecosystem.

"We are on the right path, albeit one fraught with thorny pathways and dark alleys. To allow mediocrity, hate, bloated egos and greed back into football administration is an injustice to all Kenyans, both current and future generations. Hiyo nayo hatuwezi kubali kamwe [We won’t let that happen]!"

The state-of-the-art Hovsan Complex, which is hosting the U15 tournament, features 10 football pitches configured to host 20 simultaneous 8v8 matches, providing a world-class environment for youth development.

The Kenya U15 boys team is among 189 Member Associations competing in this first-ever edition for boys, which will feature almost 1,000 matches. The girls' edition is scheduled for 2027, with both tournaments set to become annual events from 2028.

“The tournament presents a massive opportunity for our young talents to gain invaluable international exposure and test themselves against different football cultures on the world stage,” Mohammed further stated.

Meanwhile, the Kenya U15 boys team have finished top of their group after beating Chad 3-2 on Monday. Kenya had started their campaign with a thumping 5-1 win over Panama before a 2-2 draw with Niger.