The Nigeria 2018 World Cup home kit pays subtle homage to Nigeria’s 1994 shirt (worn by Nigeria’s first team to qualify) with its eagle wing-inspired black-and-white sleeve and green torso. Today, those elements are supercharged through an abstracted feather pattern and hyper colors that extend a power capable of turning heads on and off pitch.
Fittingly, the pattern extends to Nigeria’s anthem jacket along with pre-match and training apparel. The latter features taping along the shoulders emblazoned with Super Eagles (the endearing nickname for the senior team resonates for all generations), while the jacket sleeve reads “Naija.”
As a natural contrast to the home kit, the Nigeria 2018/19 Nike away kit introduces a cool, refined vision of a classic Nigeria full-green strip. “Overall, the two uniforms form the perfect yin/yang of kits. We counterbalanced the energy of the home with a super-dark deep green away look,” explains Farron. “Then we recolored the crest to be a single color but lifted it in a really bright green. This gives us a really clean aesthetic.”
Naija zeal extends further in the off-pitch portion of the collection. Most notably, there’s the travel suit — a tonal green floral affair with significant swagger. Accessories, including bucket hats, add personality, and each piece is designed to be mixed and matched to preference.
“When I first saw the new kit I was like, ‘Wow, this is sick! I need one now!” says Iwobi. He’ll soon wear it while representing the Super Eagles, and, just as he’s known to do with his club kit, aims to wear it off pitch out and about. Until then, he’s kept it secret. “Of, course, I’ve been wearing it at home already,” he says.