The fear of the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be the beginning of wisdom this evening at the magnificent Wembley Stadium in England. The Red Lions have been warned to be at their best when they take on the 2013 African champions in an international friendly match.
The English team is being warned to stay focussed on the ball and not the dazzling jersey of Nigeria’s Super Eagles.
Ahead of the encounter, part of the preparation for the FIFA World Cup in Russia, which begins June 14, the Eagles have been in the limelight over their official kit designed by Nike. Incidentally, Nike also designed England’s kits, but they were not as beautiful as Nigeria’s.
Nike reported that three million people pre-ordered the snazzy, retro replica, with Nike flagship store in London invaded by literally thousands of Nigerian supporters on Friday when the shirt went on sale.
Priced at £65 or $85, the home and away shirts had sold out in less than 20 minutes on Nike’s website.
Kit designers describe the home strip as a “subtle homage” to Nigeria’s 1994 shirt, with its eagle wing-inspired black-and-white sleeve and green torso.
Nike have also released Nigeria inspired boots – the Naija Mercurial 360 which hit the stores on Friday, as well.
Nike said:”Ahead of this summer’s tournament, Nigeria has emerged as a fan favourite on account of its swagger, style of play and bold National Team collection.
Nigeria were the darlings of the ’94 tournament in the United States, qualifying for the second round after topping a group that included Argentina. The Super Eagles succumbed to eventual finalists Italy in the knockout phase.Having missed out on qualification for Brazil four years ago, the African nation is looking to leave a lasting impression in Russia.
As in 1994, Nigeria will face Argentina in the group stage, along with Croatia and Iceland. Nigeria will have their new home kit on display on Saturday, when they play a warm-up match against England at Wembley Stadium, beginning from 5.15pm Nigerian time.
