Immediate past Coordinator, Peace Support Operations in the ministry of Defence, Brigadier-General Umar Mohammed Ibrahim (retd), has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), to discard the deep green jersey worn by the Super Eagles in their match against Madagascar in the ongoing AFCON competition, saying that the jersey brings ill luck to the team each time it is worn to play any match.
He made the call yesterday while appraising Super Eagles’ performance at the ongoing AFCON competition.
Ibrahim, who just retired from the Nigeria Army on July 5, noted that he reached his conclusion after about 20 years of closely monitoring the country’s teams each time they wear the said jersey. He said for the 20 years, the outcome of all the matches played by any of the teams using the said jersey had always ended disastrously.
“Whoever introduced that jersey to our teams has not done us any good. If they were donated by any sponsor, please, they should ask the sponsor to withdraw the jersey. Mark my words; I am not saying we don’t lose matches putting on our traditional jerseys, but the case with this deep green jersey is peculiar.
“Look at our girls during the just concluded female world cup, it was the same fate. What about our flying eagles? It was the same experience. The NFF should just withdraw the jersey. The jersey brings bad luck to the team. What I am telling you is the result of over 20 years of close observation of our matches at all levels. Let’s stick to our pure white and green and white. At any rate, that green is not even our colour.
“I appeal to all Nigerians, who share this position to join me in this campaign to stop the use of that jersey that brings bad luck to us each time our teams put it on to play any match,” Ibrahim said.
On the Super Eagles’ overall performance, he said the victory goes to confirm that Nigeria has never lost a third-place fixture in the history of the AFCON, as they have won all the eight they have featured in so far.
“But from the general reactions, it is obvious Nigerians are not happy with a bronze because we believe we deserve better. We were already looking forward to the finals before that jersey the team wore against Madagascar cost us the match against Algeria,” Ibrahim added.