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POLL: BBC RANKS SUPER EAGLES’ 2018 ATTIRE AMONG WORLD ALL-TIME ICONIC FOOTBALL SHIRTS

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Nigeria Super Eagles’ home shirt for the 2018 World Cup in Russia is still receiving global attention as BBC has shortlisted it among the 20 all-time iconic football shirts.

Voting opened on Wednesday for visitors to the BBC sports website to choose the best of the 20 shirts.

Among the shortlisted are those for 12 national teams with England listed thrice – the 1966 red strip, the 1990 attire and the England’s 2019 women’s strip.

Only Nigeria’s 2018 shirt and the 2002 sleeveless attire of Cameroon are the African jerseys that made the list. However, FIFA later outlawed the Cameroonian attire, claiming it was mere vest and failed the equipment regulations of football.

Cameroon hastily sewed black sleeves to the vests before they were allowed to be worn at the World Cup.

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BBC embarked on the survey to coincide with the time of the year that clubs start preparing to reveal their kit designs for next season.

The shortlists are:

England 1966

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We start with the long-sleeved red Umbro shirt in which England beat West Germany 4-2 to win the World Cup in 1966. Sir Alf Ramsey’s side only wore red at Wembley that day because the Germans won the toss to wear white. It’s still a shirt loved by Three Lions fans and worn regularly more than 50 years later.

Celtic 1967

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This famous shirt was worn by Celtic’s ‘Lisbon Lions’ when they wrote their name into the history books with a 2-1 win over Inter Milan in Portugal to become the first British team to win the European Cup.

Brazil 1970

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Very similar to most other Brazil kits, but this one is a retro classic. Worn by the great 1970 World Cup-winning side and the last shirt Pele sported before retiring from international duty.

Chelsea 1970

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To avoid a clash with Leeds in the 1970 FA Cup final, Chelsea swapped their usual white socks, shirt piping and club badge to yellow. They went on to win 2-1, lifting the famous trophy for the first time in the club’s history. To celebrate the 50-year anniversary, the Blues wore a one-off modernised commemorative replica kit for their third-round home tie with Nottingham Forest in 2020.

Ajax 1971

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Simple but an absolute beauty. It was in this kit that Ajax beat Panathinaikos 2-0 at Wembley as they won the first of three consecutive European Cup finals.

Mexico 1978

One for the history books. After missing the 1974 World Cup, Mexico arrived at Argentina 1978 in style. Their kits were designed and made by American denim giants Levi’s.

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Boca Juniors 1981

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This shirt screams Diego Maradona. It was the first shirt to feature Boca’s four-star crest alongside their famous blue and gold colours. Adidas pulled it out of the bag with this one by producing a shirt that is still sought after almost four decades later.

Belgium 1984

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Although the 1984 European Championships were forgettable for the Belgians, who didn’t make it out of the group, this shirt lives long in the memory. The national team brought back the diamond design to inspire their 2018 World Cup kit.

Liverpool 1984

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Liverpool wore a near-identical home shirt from 1983-1985, but this sponsorless edition worn for the 1984 European Cup final in Rome stands out. Joe Fagan’s side beat Roma on penalties that night, and the famous shirt was used to inspire the Reds’ 2019-20 kit.

Denmark 1986

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Denmark made their World Cup debut in style. Much like the shirt’s split panels, the design divided opinion back in the day. But it was the first of its kind – Coventry and Southampton were among the clubs who later wore similar designs.

Netherlands 1988

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One of the most sought-after shirts of all time. It’s safe to say the Netherlands looked the part as they won the European Championship for the first time.

Colombia 1990

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Colombia always have great kits and they arrived at the 1990 World Cup after a 28-year hiatus from the competition with this absolute belter. The iconic design was used to inspire Los Cafeteros’ shirt for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

England 1990

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Bobby Robson’s side reached the semi-finals at Italia 90 in the World Cup that had it all. From Paul Gascoigne’s tears in Turin and THAT Chris Waddle penalty miss, to Gary Lineker’s vital goals, there are so many memories attached to this England shirt.

Man Utd 1990

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Man Utd have had some great shirts over the years but this one is truly unique. The Aztec-style graphic on the away shirt was a fans’ favourite and remains popular today.

West Germany 1990

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The shirt worn by the Germans as they beat Argentina to win the 1990 World Cup. The slick design has become a retro classic and is still as popular today as it was 30 years ago.

Arsenal 1991

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Arsenal’s ‘bruised banana’ has to be one of the most legendary top-flight kits of the 1990s – if not ever. So popular, the Gunners used it as inspiration for their 2019-20 away shirt.

Barcelona 1997

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It’s hard to find a bad Barca shirt from over the years but this away kit is a gem, and synonymous with Ronaldo, as this was the only season he spent with the Catalan giants. Worn in the 1997 Cup Winners’ Cup final where the Brazilian’s penalty was enough to beat Paris St-Germain in Rotterdam.

Cameroon 2002

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One-of-a-kind, but Cameroon’s controversial sleeveless shirt didn’t go down well with everyone. It was banned by Fifa for the 2002 World Cup in Japan because ‘they’re not shirts… they’re vests’.

Nigeria 2018

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Nigeria took the world by storm with this release for the 2018 World Cup. Fans queued for hours outside Nike’s flagship store in London to get their hands on one, and with three million pre-orders of the replica shirts, they sold out almost immediately after they were released.

England women 2019

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There was a lot of hype around this release before the 2019 Women’s World Cup. It was the first time the Lionesses had their own exclusive kit, and the rose detail on the crimson shirts made it truly unique.

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

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International Football

Akor Adams Scores But Super Eagles Fall 2-1 To Portugal In Leiria

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Nigeria’s Super Eagles put up a spirited performance but were edged 2-1 by Portugal in an international friendly at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday night.

The match served as Portugal’s final tune-up ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and offered the Nigerians a chance to test themselves against one of Europe’s leading sides led by veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal drew first blood in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto broke the deadlock, firing past Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye after a lively opening period in which both teams created opportunities.

The Super Eagles responded positively and were rewarded eight minutes before halftime when striker Akor Adams found the equaliser. The goal capped an impressive Nigerian fightback and ensured the teams went into the break level at 1-1.

Ronaldo, making a rare appearance against Nigeria, started the match and remained on the pitch until the 67th minute. The 41-year-old was given a standing ovation by the home crowd when he was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos.

Portugal made several changes after the interval as coach Roberto Martinez rotated his squad in preparation for the World Cup. Despite the substitutions, the hosts continued to press for a winner.

Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Francisco Conceição struck the decisive goal, restoring Portugal’s lead and ultimately securing victory for the European side.

Nigeria battled to find another equaliser in the closing stages but Portugal’s defence held firm to preserve the 2-1 result.

The defeat means Portugal have now won both meetings between the two countries. Their first encounter came in Lisbon in November 2022, when the Portuguese recorded a convincing 4-0 victory in a pre-World Cup friendly.

While the result will disappoint Nigerian supporters, the Super Eagles can take encouragement from their resilient display against one of the teams widely tipped to make a strong impact at the World Cup. Akor Adams’ goal and Nigeria’s competitive showing against a star-studded Portuguese side provided positive signs as the team continues its rebuilding process under the national team set-up.

For Portugal, the victory provides a confidence boost as they head to North America, where they hope their talented midfield and experienced squad can propel them to a successful World Cup campaign.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

 

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International Football

Ronaldo to Start for Portugal Against Nigeria in Friendly

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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the starting line-up when the Selecao take on Nigeria in an international friendly match which kicks off in a few minutes tonight.
The 41-year-old forward, who remains a key figure in the Portuguese national team, has been named among the starters as Portugal continue preparations for upcoming competitive fixtures.
Ronaldo’s inclusion is expected to add further excitement to the encounter, with Nigerian fans eager to see one of football’s greatest players in action against the Super Eagles.
The match offers Nigeria another opportunity to test themselves against top European opposition, while Portugal will look to sharpen their squad ahead of future international assignments.
Kick-off is scheduled for later tonight, with both teams expected to field strong line-ups in what promises to be an entertaining contest.

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International Football

Nigeria, Portugal Renew Rare Rivalry in World Cup Dress Rehearsal

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Blast from the Past: When Nigeria and Portugal last met four years ago, the Europeans cruised to a 4-0 victory. The Super Eagles return to face the Seleção once again, seeking a different outcome as Alex Iwobi marks his historic 100th international appearance.

By Kunle Solaja

Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Portugal will meet for only the second time at the senior level when they clash in an international friendly in Leiria on Wednesday night.

The encounter comes under remarkably similar circumstances to their first meeting in November 2022, when Portugal defeated Nigeria 4-0 in Lisbon just days before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Once again, Portugal are using Nigeria as their final warm-up match before the World Cup. Four years ago, the Portuguese selected the Super Eagles to prepare for a group-stage clash against Ghana, the team that denied Nigeria a place at Qatar 2022.

History appears to be repeating itself. This time, Portugal are preparing for a World Cup opening fixture against the Democratic Republic of Congo, another team that shattered Nigeria’s World Cup ambitions by eliminating the Super Eagles from the qualification race.

The match at the 29,000-capacity Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa offers Nigeria an opportunity to avenge the heavy defeat suffered four years ago and test themselves against one of Europe’s strongest sides.

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has assembled a star-studded squad featuring five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rafael Leão and João Félix.

The Portuguese head into the encounter unbeaten in their last four matches, having recorded victories over the United States and Chile while drawing with Mexico.

Nigeria, under coach Eric Chelle, have also enjoyed an impressive run. Since taking charge 15 months ago, the Franco-Malian tactician has overseen 24 matches and suffered only one defeat in regulation time.

With both teams carrying impressive recent records, Wednesday’s friendly promises to be far more competitive than the scoreline from their last meeting suggests.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

 

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