Nigeria World Cup jerseys sold out overseas after 3 million

Written by Jacob Bogage Washington Post

The World Cup’s most anticipated uniform was finally available for purchase — and now it’s not.

Nigeria’s “Naija” kit has been a pop-culture phenomenon since Nike released the design in February and began
accepting preorders. But the jersey wound up even more popular than the company could have imagined.

Three million preorders for the $90 shirts came in, and Nike stores sold out their retail inventories Friday.

Customers lined up for blocks in Nigeria’s capital of Lagos as well as in London to purchase the kits, which have become
as much of a fashion statement as a way to support the Super Eagles in this month’s World Cup.

The kits are modeled after those worn by Nigeria’s revered 1994 team and feature the zigzag design meant to mimic an
eagle’s wings.

“Naija,” the name of the collection and the word stamped across the front of one of the kits, is a patriotic slang term
among the nation’s youth. It can be literally translated to mean “the new Nigeria” and often is a moniker for the fast and
fun life of Nigeria’s middle-class cosmopolitan younger generation.

Jacob Bogage writes about sports for The Post, where he has worked since 2015. He previously covered the automotive and manufacturing industries for the Business section