Top 5 Best Kits for an African National Team
African National Teams have always added quality and flair to international soccer competitions. But aside from their heroics on the pitch, they have also brought a unique sense of swag and aesthetic with their kits. Africans in Sports takes a look at 5 iconic African jerseys and the stories behind them.
5) Cameroon Home – 2002 AFCON
Cameroon’s triumph at the AFCON 2002 was a springboard for some careers, such as Samuel Eto’o. And the perfect farewell to others, for instance, that of current goalkeeper coach Jacques Songo’o.
Yet, the most impressive ascendence (and comeuppance) of the tournament did not belong to a member of the Indomitable Lions, but rather to the kit they sported.
In contrast to FIFA’s guidance, Cameroon players wore green tank tops with yellow numbers, inscriptions, and trimmings, instead of actual jerseys. Combined with the red shorts, the full kit followed the Pan-African color palette as a nod to the Cameroon flag. The Cameroon flag color pattern was also reflected on the sleeve cuffs and collar.
Needless to say, the global soccer government did not appreciate the deviance, and Cameroon was forced to add dark-colored sleeves to their uniforms in order to be eligible for the World Cup later that summer. In years to come, the team would try to work around the rules, drawing all kinds of sanctions. But after looking at the pictures, we can all agree that punishment is temporary, whereas drip is forever.
4) Algeria Home and Away – 1982 World Cup
The Desert Foxes started their 1982 World Cup campaign with a stunning upset of eventual runners-up West Germany. Rabah Madjer and Lakhdar Belloumi’s goals outweighed Karl-Heinz Rumenigge’s strike, sending shockwaves across the soccer universe.
Algeria sported two different jerseys throughout the game, switching them at halftime. The original polo shirts had green collars and fronts, with white shoulders, sleeves, and a white left panel. The main green portion of the front and the left white side alternated in a vertical striped pattern.
Numbers and inscriptions were also white and, perhaps, the most defining touch of them all, so was a big Arabic script spelling out al-Jazā’ir (Algeria) in the middle. For the second half polos, the collar was white, and the Arabic script was stylized inside a circle, a detail that persisted in future versions. Interestingly, the color scheme was flipped for the away jerseys – the green regions became white and vice-versa.
The Greens also won their final group stage game against Chile. But in rather tragic fashion later that night, Austria allegedly threw the game to Germany to avoid England in the next round while also currying in favor with their geographic neighbors. The scoreline meant Algeria did not make it to the next stage, much to the disappointment of fans and the shame of its colluding rivals. Since then, all final matchday games within the same group take place at the same time.
3) Mali Home – 2019 AFCON
Sometimes in design, less is more. But in the case of Mali’s most recent AFCON jersey, that adage goes out the window. Airness, a lesser-known brand, came up with a bold eagle design (see what we did there) stretching its claws right on the chest area.
The bird is depicted in green, with three stripes emerging from it in a wing-like fashion. The stripes are green, yellow, and red, recalling the Pan-African colors, and the design is depicted on a white canvas with shaded patterns for added detail.
The Eagles started the tournament with a strong outing, a 4-1 victory against Mauritania. They proceeded to win their group but crashed out of the round of 16 at the hands of the Ivory Coast. Though their adventure fell short of what could have been, their imprint on the swag of the game remains.
2) Ghana Away – 2014 World Cup
Fresh off of an undeserved exit in the 2010 World Cup (see Suarez handball fiasco), the Black Stars decided they would look fresh for the revenge tour in Brazil. The luck of the draw saw them lock horns with two prior opponents from South Africa, namely the United States and eventual champions Germany.
Despite an opening matchday defeat to the Americans, Ghana drew 2-2 against the 2014 champs and actually led the Mannschaft for a good chunk of time, prior to Miro Klose’s historical equalizer to tie the all-time WC scoring record (he went on to break it against the hosts in the 7-1 semifinal demolition).
Ghana did so in their away kit, a thing of beauty conceived by Puma. Its bright red color, combined with gold cuffs, gave the jersey a royal look. The real treat, however, was the patterns on the mainframe, inspired by African art. The star, Ghana’s distinctive symbol, is prevalent on the graphic and also on the cuffs.
Though Ghana’s World Cup journey ended prematurely with a loss to Portugal in the final matchday, its contribution to the tournament’s lore and class is undeniable.
1) Nigeria Home – 2018 World Cup
When your team jersey turns into a hypebeast item that registers 3 million pre-orders, and people pay three times its original price to get their hands on it from resellers, you know you are doing it right. For Nigeria’s 2018 campaign in Russia, Nike combined a retro design with smooth modern texture to create a thing of beauty that celebrated both African heritage, as well as modern-day taste.
The jersey combined pixelated V-patterns, aligned in a vertically shifted manner, with a lime frame and black sleeves. The zig-zag effect made for a mesmerizing sighting on the pitch, while cinema aficionados commented on its Black Panther-like aesthetic. The MCU film also came out in 2018 and captivated the world with its powerful message.
The Super Eagles missed out on the knockout stage by one point but gave quite a fight to both Lionel Messi’s Argentina, as well as eventual runners-up Croatia. Furthermore, they snatched a 2-0 victory against debutants Iceland on the second matchday.