Nike have a habit of picking their moments, and this one feels deliberate. As AFCON 2025 gets underway and attention shifts back to African football, the Swoosh has reached deep into the culture vault and pulled out one of the most recognisable jerseys the game has ever seen: Nigeria’s 1996 home shirt.
The timing is impossible to ignore. With the Super Eagles back on the continental stage, Nike’s reissue lands like a reminder rather than a throwback. First worn at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the green-and-white zigzag jersey was never just about football. It crossed into music, fashion, and street culture almost immediately. It showed up at festivals, in music videos, and in places far removed from stadiums. That kind of reach doesn’t happen by accident.
What made the shirt special was its confidence. The bold pattern, oversized energy, and unapologetic identity mirrored a Super Eagles team that played without fear. It marked a moment when African football stopped asking for permission and starred setting trends. Nearly three decades later, the design still feels current, which says everything about its place in football history.
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More Than a Reissue, It’s a Reminder
This reissue stays faithful to the original details that made the shirt iconic. The vertical green-and-white pattern remains front and centre. The eagle motif sits proudly, “NIGERIA” stretches boldly across the chest, and the Nigeria Football Association crest returns as a nod to the era. Even the zigzag detailing around the collar and sleeve cuffs has been preserved, keeping the shirt rooted firmly in its original moment.
The jersey is inseparable from what Nigeria achieved while wearing it. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the Super Eagles stunned the football world, becoming the first African nation to win Olympic gold. That run included unforgettable wins over Brazil and Argentina and introduced a generation of players to a global audience. Names like Nwankwo Kanu, Jay-Jay Okocha, and Taribo West became symbols of a team that combined skill, confidence, and belief.
Nike’s decision to relaunch the kit as AFCON kicks off is not about rewriting history. It’s about reconnecting past influence with present ambition. Nigeria won’t wear the shirt on the pitch in Morocco, but its presence around the tournament feels intentional. It reminds fans that Nigeria’s football identity has always extended beyond results. It lives in style, attitude, and the ability to shape culture beyond the game.
The reissue also speaks to a wider truth about African football kits. Few jerseys carry the weight this one does. It represents a turning point, when African teams proved they could dominate global stages while looking unmistakably themselves. That legacy still matters, especially as new generations of fans discover the story behind the design.
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AFCON 2025
As AFCON 2025 unfolds, the return of the 1996 home shirt feels less like nostalgia and more like confirmation. Some designs don’t age because they were never tied to trends. They were tied to moments. And this one still stands as untouchable, timeless, and unmistakably Nigerian.
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