LAGOS: Former Chelsea player and Super Eagles captain, John Mikel Obi says the national team players would fall in love with the dazzling new jerseys for the Russia 2018 World Cup.
Mikel yesterday led the younger generation of Eagles players to the unveiling of the kits by Nike in London.
The dazzling bright green and white home shirts was launched by Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi, alongside the duo of Leicester youngsters, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi.
In the 1 minute 20 seconds clip, Ndidi, Mikel, Iwobi and Iheanacho were shown giving their verdicts on the attire.
“I can see the players going crazy over this one,” Mikel said when he was shown the national side’s home shirt, in Nigeria’s famous dark green with an eye-catching neon logo.
Arsenal star Iwobi, told Nike’s official website; “ I grew up in England, but Nigeria is my homeland. When I scored that goal, the players were dancing, the fans were playing trumpets and beating drums… there was just so much passion and energy.
‘It is always an honour to wear the white and green. To compete this summer is not just our dream, it is also the dream of our fans. Together, we all represent Naija.’
The kit manufacturers Nike said they wanted to ‘tap into the attitude of the nation’ with the design and aimed to build the kit based on the identities of the players.
Nike’s Nigeria shirts are part of a collection which features Fast Fit Vapotknit technology to aide the athlete’s performance.
Despite the mixed reaction, the kit’s similarity to the iconic shirts worn by the nation’s Golden Generation in their maiden World Cup campaign in the United States in 1994 should earn it major points for nostalgia among Super Eagles supporters.
“A constant in Nigeria is an endearing love of football,” NFF President Amaju Pinnick, told Nike’s official website. “When football is on, everything stops. The new Nike kit designs honour our federation’s rich traditions. Moreover, they celebrate everything we relish about our culture.”
