Myth: Super Eagles And Deep Green Jersey

Skitek Media takes a look at the noise about the Super Eagles jerseys at the just concluded African Cup of Nation in Egypt.

As the Super Eagles stepped out of the dressing room in deep green jerseys, football fans at the viewing centre hissed to show their discontent with the uniform.

“Ooooh, this Jersey always bring badluck. We cannot even see the players, too dark. See Algeria players as they fill the pitch with their white Jerseys”, the fans grumbled.

@samsaxofficial: "This Jersey has always been unlucky"

@BashirAk_: "Stop using that stupid unlucky jersey"

@FINALIZER1: "Super eagles why this unlucky jersey na??????"

@Dammybas: "*COUGHS* stupid unlucky jersey"

@daphy657: "Stop wearing this useless green jersey ..its an Unlucky jersey !"

@dirtyboyjameso : "STOP WEARING THAT DAMN UNLUCKY JERSEY"

@enitan16: "We just had to wear that unlucky jersey #AFCON #AFCON2019"

@JayMarionCarter: "Can we now burn this unlucky Jersey ? I need to have peace of mind #IStillBleed9ja"

@Fejer50: "Guys, we have lost already with this jersey"

@DrIdongesit: "Who agrees with me that this Jersey carries bad luck.."

@Finestteebee: "Super eagles should never use this bad luck jersey again! # ALGNGA"

Those were the reactions of Nigerian football fans before the referee blew the whistle to start the game against the Desert Foxes of Algeria.

What does Jersey need to do with good and quality football game, I asked rhetorically but in less than 10 minutes of my nostalgia, Algeria had scored against Nigeria and were pressing further to double the lead.

Most Nigerians prefer the fashionable Eagle like Jersey that many now refer to as “Aso Ebi’.
The Nike Super Eagles shirt was a sellout towards the 2018 World Cup. It was one of the best–designed jerseys at the Russia 2018, even though Nigeria could not qualify for the second round of the tournament.

Every Nigerian loves the Jersey but detests the second deep green not only because of the design but due to the so-called bad luck that follows it.

Recall that Nigeria lost to Madagascar 0-2 in the just concluded African Cup of Nation wearing the deep green Jersey.

The team also lost to Algeria 1-2 in the semi–final wearing the deep green shirt.

The team lost to Croatia at the World Cup wearing the deep green shirt but defeated Iceland while wearing the “Aso Ebi'”.

The noise about the deep green jersey became a topic as Nigeria were losing to Algeria.
I could remember that Nigerian football fans detested white Jersey in the past for the same reason that it brought badluck.

I could also remember that nobody ever thought of which Jersey was good or bad in the glorious 1994 golden era that paraded the likes of Rashidi Yekini, Finidi George and Peter Rufai.

I could remember that there was a time the Super Eagles players had to cut their tracksuits to play a match because their handlers forgot to bring the Jerseys to the field.

That day, Nigeria beat Ethiopia by 6-1 wearing the tracksuits as jerseys. So it sounds ridiculous to attribute the poor performance of a team to theJersey the players put on.

As a matter of fact, Nigeria beat Libya, Egypt and Poland in all the friendlies they played with these countries, wearing the deep green shirt.

While I see it so illogical to attribute poor performance to a poor jersey, there is a need for Nigeria Football Federation to take a second look at the deep green shirt.
Of course, it is not the reason why the Super Eagles failed to qualify for AFCON final but the design does not represent Nigeria colour.

The country’s National Flag is light Green and white not deep green and white.