It was the best kit of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and sold out instantly after three million preorders were lodged with Nike.
Now the jazzy green and white Nigeria home kit will be recreated as an official Subbuteo team for the first time ever – and it is set to be one of the most popular sets around.
The Nigeria 2018 team has been announced as part of the Subbuteo La Leggenda Platinum Edition range, an officially-licensed series of 80 historic international teams.
Sold only in Italy, the range is being included in a weekly magazine subscription and comes with a booklet with information about each of the teams.
Nigeria will arrive in November and follows a host of classic international teams including Italy 1982, Brazil 1994 and England 1966.
A total of 24 teams have already been announced for the range and Nigeria are not the only modern team to be included. Panama’s World Cup side from 2018 is also going to be produced, as will Portugal.
However, it is Nigeria’s eye-catching design that is likely to impress Subbuteo fans.
The kit is a tricky one to produce in Subbuteo thanks to its thin, zig-zag green lines and contrasting black and white sleeves. However, the 1990s style caught the imagination of football fans and it quickly became the must-have kit of the summer.
Nike described it as a “subtle homage to Nigeria’s ’94 shirt, with its eagle wing-inspired black-and-white sleeve and green torso”.
Nigeria wore the kit just once in a disappointing World Cup campaign in which they lost 2-0 to eventual finalists Croatia, beat Iceland 2-0 and then lost 2-1 to Argentina. They were eliminated from the tournament in the group stage.
The kit was worn by the likes of Chelsea’s Victor Moses and Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi and sold out despite a hefty price tag of £65 in the UK. It is now being sold on eBay but prices suggest demand has dipped a little, with some being sold for £40.
