Top five best football kits in AFCON history

Some of the best football kits in AFCON

The Africa Cup of Nations 2023 (AFCON) will start in the next two weeks. Some of the best teams on the continent will face each other.

Fans will be eager to see their nation’s heroes on the biggest stage and wear their jerseys in the stands and at home. Some of these jerseys were iconic and here are the best ones according to BBC.

Cameroon 2002 (Home)

Back in 2002, Cameroon and Puma released a sleeveless shirt which was unveiled at Afcon in Mali.

“The players didn’t know we would play with a shirt with no sleeves,” Indomitable Lions midfielder Eric Djemba-Djemba told BBC Sport Africa.

“When we came to the dressing room we said ‘Wow, this is a new generation of shirt’. When we went onto the pitch the world was watching and it became famous. “Everybody in Africa wanted to wear that shirt.” But Fifa were having none of it.

Just two years later, Cameroon were at it again with the release of a onesie kit, with the shirt and shorts stitched together to make a single garment, for Afcon in Tunisia.

South Africa 1996 (home)

South Africa made their Afcon debut as hosts in 1996, after being excluded during the apartheid era, sporting a home kit Warwick describes as “absolute mayhem”.

The country’s then president, Nelson Mandela, wore the shirt as he watched Bafana Bafana win the trophy – just as he had done with a Springboks jersey at the Rugby World Cup final a year before.

Trending World Football Articles:

• Top four players with most goals in 2023
• Top six players with most assists in 2023
• Best goals scored in football in 2023: Ranked
• Top 10 best footballers of 2023: Ranked
• Best football matches of 2023: Ranked

Nigeria 2019 (home)

Known for their bold colours and patterns, Nigeria kits often fly off the shelves when released.

Their design for the 2018 World Cup led to long queues outside stores and almost broke the internet, with three million people pre-ordering the replica.

“Nike paid homage to the shirt worn by the Super Eagles at USA 94 – the first time the nation appeared at a World Cup – and it became an instant classic.”

Zambia 2012 (home)

Zambia stunned the Africa, and the world game when they defied the odds to lift the trophy in 2012.

French coach Herve Renard masterminded wins over Senegal and Ghana before the Chipolopolo upset Ivory Coast on penalties in the final.

Mali 2021 (home)

Rounding off our top five is Mali, another West African country that bases their strips on the green, gold and red colours of their flag.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.