Adidas today launched the Bafana Bafana team's home jersey which they will wear during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
The jersey will be worn for the first time when Bafana Bafana plays Japan at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 14th November 2009.
"This jersey is without doubt one of the most important and iconic that Adidas, as the National team's official technical supplier, has ever designed," says Zobuzwe Ngobese, the PR Manager at Adidas South Africa. "This jersey will be our identity as South Africans when we host the people of the world next year. Yellow is our home colour and we would like the people of South Africa to wear their yellow jersey with pride".
The jersey design was influenced by the diversity of our country and its 11 main communities and languages spoken - all of which will be unified behind our country and team during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The jersey incorporates 11 threads that symbolise this diversity in unity and modern interpretations of traditional South African artwork, and celebrates the pride of our host nation by displaying the centre of the national flag on its front.
According to Kevin Jooste, the Category Manager for Football at Adidas South Africa, Adidas SA was heavily involved with the design process, giving input to designers and then getting feedback from the South African Football Association. This was a two year process of consultation. "We had to produce a jersey that unites the people of South Africa behind Bafana Bafana and making the flag a prominent part of the jersey was the way to do it, the flag unites all South Africans " he says
The technical specifications are all about ensuring optimal performance for each player - no matter what his specific needs are. This requirement is met through the use of a wide selection of apparel which will be offered to each player. This ensures that each athlete will be equipped with the tools they need to suit personal preference, and deal with the variable winter conditions in South Africa in June 2010. There will be 21 apparel pieces to choose from, allowing players to build their ideal kit from a system that offers the best of compression technology, fit and comfort. This means that, while all players will have the same appearance, they will each be wearing apparel specific to their optimal performance needs.
Let us know what you think of the new Bafana Bafana jersey in the comments section below.
