Construction of a new sports stadium to be used as the main venue for the opening and closing ceremony of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations started on Friday in Kenya's capital Nairobi.

Once completed by the end of next year, the Talanta Sports City stadium, with a capacity of 60,000 seats, will be able to host world-class international sports competitions and redefine the country's sporting profile, William Ruto, Kenyan president, said at the groundbreaking ceremony of the stadium on Friday morning.

The stadium, occupying an area of about 46 hectares, will be constructed by Chinese company China Road and Bridge Corporation over a two-year period. It will be a FIFA-standard professional soccer stadium, which can also host rugby matches.