Nigeria fans online see no sense in launching new kits when the Super Eagles are not going to the World Cup.
Kit manufacturers Nike has revealed the 2022 Nigeria kits that the Super Eagles will wear during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers but the 'Adire' design has not been met well by a section of Nigeria fans.
The new home kit has a V-neck shaped jersey with a colourful green design which is inspired by the Adire design worn by the South-Western people of Nigeria but not everyone is on board, especially given the national team will not be part of the travelling party to Qatar.
âWhy waste national budget funds on outfits that wonât be used at the World Cup?â posed @sinzu_b in response to a social media post by the Super Eagles showcasing the new kits.
âCanât you just stick to the old design till the next World Cup comes up? Must you people find every means to steal from the purse of the country? Rubbish,â he added.
âSoar to where? Others are soaring to World Cup,â replied @Fortunecares.
âUnfortunately, these wrappers jerseys will be worn for friendly matches and Womenâs World Cup,â said @nancybrewgh.
âStill finer than the best youâve had. Always interested in telling us how to fix things while their roof is leaking,â replied @Affoo76.
âSuper Eagles need to be scrapped. Government should stop wasting funds on average players that common Ghana farmers team can beat home and away,â responded @Lisa6u8.
âNo need for an away kit since we'll be staying at home all through the tournament,â said @EmmaofLFC.
âYour mates are busy preparing for world cup, you're here launching new set of jerseys,â was @AfuwapeOladeleâs response.
Some fans feel sorry that such a nice kit will not be showcased to a global audience.
âNa so this fine jersey will just go to waste. No World Cup. But Nike always doing the most for the Super Eagles,â said @Philip_Okongene.
âBeautiful kit. It hurts that it won't be on display in Qatar later in the year,â commented @debongos.
Others are not only disappointed that the team is not going to the World Cup but the kit as well.
âIs this punishment for not qualifying for the World Cup? Very, very ugly kit,â responded @EG47651821.
âThis thing I saw earlier is a football jersey? How? What kind of Adire is this?â wondered @Uzochi_O.
âThe home kit is worst, it looks more like asoebi uniform,â said @elaigwukings.
âBecause we not going to the World Cup Nike give us Ankara as kit,â replied @EgbuonuS.
âIf the plan is to irritate opponents so that they don't mark our players, I think this is the perfect jersey for the job,â said @Udo_Casciavit.
Nigeria has had some of the best kit designs over the years with their 2018 jersey earning praise from fans across the globe. Nike revealed the 2018 jersey, which the Super Eagles wore at the World Cup in Russia, and had broken records with three million pre-orders.
The West Africans missed out on the 2022 tournament after falling to Ghana in the playoffs in March.