Did the rollout of the Nike World Cup jersey misrepresent Nigerian culture?

While other countries pulled out the stops to unveil their jerseys, the men at the Glass House in Abuja did little or nothing to make our unveiling an event. Believe it or not, the NFF pulled together a bunch of anonymous footballers to parade in from its building with the new Adidas jersey. The whole event was comical and embarrassing to the say the very least. It showed the world how unserious we were.

The irresponsible attitude of the NFF has cost us dearly in the past. The previous deal the NFF had with Adidas fell through after the World Cup in 2014. The football association failed to keep up with its contractual obligations. At the Super Eagles camp during the tournament, top Adidas officials saw Nigerian fans and some NFF officials wearing counterfeit Adidas jerseys.

In France ‘98, Nike officials were pissed at the NFF (then known as NFA) for allowing members of the Super Eagles team wear other sport brands. These are examples of how the NFF has continued to drop the ball.

When it comes to football, Nigerians are a very proud bunch. Our energetic, fluid and robust style of play that shocked the world in ’94 and ’96 still lingers in the hearts of millions of Nigerians. Rashidi Yekini, Samson Siasia, Peter Rufai, Kanu Nwankwo, Taribo West, Sunday Oliseh, Austin ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha are demi-gods for their exploits during Nigeria’s golden era.

Naija football is a brand on its own. Our style of play has no imitation- flashy, skillful and mesmerizing. For a country that has such a crazy love for football, it was strange to see the unveiling of the World Cup jersey happen in England.

At this point, we should state the obvious. England has far more spending power than fans of Nigerian football at home can boast of.

Price details for the official jersey and the ancillary kit items are yet to be disclosed. But if we are to go by the typical price range, between N30,000 ($83) and upwards, Nike stands a greater chance of selling jerseys in Peckham* than it does in Lagos.

Nike claims that the home kit pays subtle homage to Nigeria’s ’94 jersey, although the home kit looks more like the 1995 jersey for the King Fahd Cup. This was a period in time when the national team was at its peak. Emmanuel Amuneke, Daniel Amokachi, George Finidi were not only Super Eagle stars but some of the best players in the world at that time.

If you are paying homage to legends who wore the jersey 23 years ago, it’s only right that you go the extra mile to make a big and apt statement. It would have been ideal if the jerseys were launched in Nigeria, Lagos preferably. While, Nigeria has a strong community in the UK, we all know our football comes from here. Unveiling the jerseys in Nigeria would have created a more authentic and intimate experience.

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Nike had the opportunity to tell a big Nigerian story as the country prepares for a World Cup where it finally has reason to expect more than the routine group stage run-out.

The DNA of Nigerian football can be found on sandy pitches and roads in the country.

These are the places were our greatest stars are made. The likes of Iheanacho played on a sandy pitch in Owerri where his talent was first spotted before he climbed the rungs to play first in the English Premier League and now, come June, the World Cup in Russia.

This narrative is and will always remain important.

The source of our football culture is from the streets of Lagos, Enugu, Onitsha, Kaduna, Jos, Owerri, Ibadan and other places where young men develop the raw talent and skills to become football sensations in Europe.

Unveiling the World Cup jersey without tapping into this narrative neglects the authenticity of our football culture.

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We shouldn’t be too tough on Nike. We can’t take away the fact that players such as Iwobi, Iheanacho and Ndidi play in England. Hosting the unveiling event would have been easier in London due to logistics.

The NFF hides under this factor. “We also have a lot of things to discuss in the contract that's why we have to travel to London to unveil the jersey. Nike also has a big event on that day and our players have to be available too and all of them play in Europe," NFF boss Amaju Pinnick said on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at a press conference at Eko Hotel & Suites announcing Super Eagles 2018 FIFA World Cup plan.

With its track record of bungling things up, the NFF shouldn’t be given the benefit of doubt.

Another highlight of the rollout campaign is the batch of creatives that came out after. It featured a bunch of young Nigerians in England wearing the new jersey and talking about the World Cup.

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The narratives of these young Nigerians living in England are relevant and valid. They have a right to be a part of the Nigerian experience for the World Cup. However, lost in this London based campaign were the voices of Super Eagles fans in Nigeria. What about them?

The average Nigerian football fan in Naija has been with the Eagles during the highs and (many) lows. He has been with the team through thick and thin. He had faith during many boring matches and bonus dramas. Where is his voice in this campaign?

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The Nike roll out for the Super Eagles jersey only features a singular narrative. It doesn't capture the whole essence of the Super Eagle fandom, the remix of Christian songs into chants, trumpets blaring, cussing at the TV, cheering the Eagles and booing the opponents.

Nigeria is a multi-ethnic country and within that space are many bubbles. When we factor the strong Nigerian communities all over the world, what you get is a beautiful mix of experiences and narratives painted in green and white.

Nigerian football is too multidimensional to only accommodate a single narrative. Granted that our UK brothers, Skepta and John Boyega have been flying the flag high recently. Over the last few years, British citizens of Nigerian descent have been repping +234 hard.

Skepta's 'Shutdown', and JohnBoyega in 'Star Wars' are massive pop culture moments, but we shouldn't forget the allure of homegrown talent conquering the world. There are only a few things that makes a Nigerian happier when he sees a born and bred Naija boy become a world star.

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Nike or the creatives shouldn't be blamed for the unveiling of the jersey. The institution at fault is the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) which has once again lost the plot. Going back to the Adidas issue in 2014, the NFF should have never allowed official fans of the Eagles and its officials allegedly wear knock off Nigerian jerseys.

We shouldn’t be really surprised. The NFF has a reputation for not handling business properly. Issues such as owing salaries and not paying match allowances have always plagued the federation. The fact that they could not organize a world class event for the Super Eagles wouldn’t be a surprise to most Nigerians. Let's not forget that the NFF has failed to nail down a home stadium for a team as iconic as the Super Eagles for years now.

Who can blame Nike though? With the way the NFF bungled the unveiling of the 2014 World Cup jersey in Abuja, they had to take matters into their own hands.

Nike put out a beautiful jersey that many of us will do our best to wear or at least, admire with pride as our heroes march onto the pitch come June 2018.

That entire experience will be another part of what is a distinctly Nigerian story whether you are born here or abroad. 'Naija na Naija'.

*Peckham is a district in South-East London. There is a strong community of Nigerians in Peckham. The BBC once described it as Little Lagos.