Blueprint Sport can authoritatively reveal yesterday that several Nigerians who were at the unveiling of the new jerseys the country will use at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals were aghast and condemned the design by the kit manufacturer, Adidas.
The unveiling ceremony was held at the at the Sunday Dankaro House yesterday and performed by the director-general of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, in conjunction with top echelons officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Blueprint Sport can report that several Nigerians lambasted NFF over the colours of the new jerseys, as they were roundly condemned not for lacking in quality and beauty as well as the slight difference in the green colour.
Traditionally, the country’s official colour has been the deep green, as typified by the national flag, but the new jerseys from sports kits manufacturer, Adidas is almost like that of Globacom colour.
Nigerians are again unhappy about the latest design, blaming the manufacturer for throwing anything they have at Nigeria but Adidas has come out to argue that it was “what the NFF wants that was given to it.’
A sports lover, Malam Mohammed Kuje, told our correspondent last night that the “jerseys totally rob us of our traditional colour of deep green. I can imagine our players in such a horrible outfit. It looks more alien to me”
An online sports journalist, Amata John, lambasted the NFF for being inconsiderate and insensitive to the yearnings of Nigerians over the jerseys.
“This country belongs to all of us. I can imagine some few people in NFF imposing these jerseys on 180 millions Nigerians. It is unfair. I hope the jerseys will not be harbinger of bad fortunes for the country.”
However, Super Eagles’ assistant coach, Daniel Amokachi, opined that
the jerseys would bring good luck to the team.
“Our prayer is that the successes we have enjoyed so far will continue with this new kit.
“The jerseys remind us of the playing days of my boss “The Big Boss” in the 80’s.
“It has the shade of green they used back then and a touch of the green we used in Atlanta 96,” Amokachi said.
CHAN MVP, Ejike Uzoenyi, was one of the first Eagles stars to model the new kits yesterday.
“The jersey is great. It feels light on the skin and it’s of top quality.
“I like its texture and cannot wait to wear it for action next week,” he said.
The Eagles will on Wednesday in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States of America launch the jerseys in a World Cup warm-up against Mexico.
