NFF Yet to Finalise Kit Talks with Nike

The Super Eagles are battling a major kit crisis even as the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed it was yet to strike a deal with American sportswear company, Nike.

NFF General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi, yesterday described the discussions with Nike as a work in session.
"We don't want to let the cat out of the bag. We are working at getting a shirt deal. It will not be good to unravel it until we finalise it, " a cautious Sanusi said concerning the speculated Nike deal.

But independent investigations by THISDAY revealed that the Super Eagles have of late been made to play in small sized jerseys because the federation has run short of free-fitting stocks of adidas shirts.

Adidas declined to renew its equipment deal with NFF beyond December last year, prompting the Nigerian federation to open contract talks with Nike which incidentally kitted the Eagles during their maiden World Cup flight in 1994.

Though Nigeria is under no obligation to continue playing in adidas stripes, the federation is left with no choice because it is yet to find a strategic kit supply partner for all the national teams.

In addition, the federation still has a stockpile of unused adidas jerseys in its store.
However, officials are now getting worried that the remaining jersey stocks are mainly of the small sizes for all players, regardless of their body make up.

According to checks by THISDAY, this crisis came to light during the two recent friendly matches against Uganda and South Africa, when the players complained that the tightness of the jerseys made them uncomfortable and even retracted their movement.
It is not clear how soon NFF will close a new kit deal considering that the adidas stock will soon be exhausted as the German firm has stopped shipping in new deliveries to Nigeria.

NFF sources also poured water on report of the prospect of both the Flying Eagles and the Super Falcons strutting in Nike stripes at the FIFA U-20 World Cup and Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Canada respectively.
According to a source, it was unlikely an agreement would be reached with Nike before the start of the U-20 World Cup, a situation which may leave Nigeria with no other option but stick with the adidas stock in store.
Source: THISDAY