Bafana Bafana fan jersey samples spark division in Mzansi
Fans have taken to social media to debate new Bafana Bafana jersey samples following the announcement of the team’s renewed partnership with adidas.
Image: Facebook
Since the South African Football Association (Safa) announced on Wednesday, October 17, that it has signed a three-year partnership with adidas, the news has been trending across social media.
The deal makes the global sports brand the official technical sponsor of South Africa’s national football teams.
Fans have quickly shared their own jersey designs online.
One sample gaining traction appeared on the Facebook fan page Bafana Bafana - South Africa.
The design, in green, gold, black and white, included the national flower, the King Protea.
It received mixed reactions, with some noting that one version resembled the Bafana Bafana 1992 Kappa jersey.
In response to the post, Nkululeko Kg Mkhize commented: “Plain white, plain yellow, please. No lines. No vertical nor horizontal lines, nothing please.”
Kebalepile Khula added: “Wishful thinking. Adidas won’t copy the Kappa design by any means. Just forget it. Better to look at current designs from countries like Germany, Spain, Mexico, Argentina and add a bit of South African adidas heritage flair. Then we are heading somewhere.”
Zethu Mkhize wrote: “Nope, retain the same jersey in which the Bafana Bafana have been playing. It comes with memories of victories. The proposed jersey is outdated and should remain in the past for the legends. We have come far. Let’s move with the times.”
Bafana Bafana has worn jerseys from several manufacturers since returning to international football in the early 1990s.
The designs have varied, from the iconic Kappa jersey to modern kits supplied by Adidas, Puma, Nike and Le Coq Sportif.
Kappa became the first technical sponsor after South Africa’s readmission to international football, providing the 1992 jersey.
Its 1996 design is particularly memorable, worn when Bafana Bafana won the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil. The home kit featured a yellow and white base with black diagonal stripes, while the away jersey was predominantly green.
adidas sponsored the team from 1999 to 2010, including kits for the 2010 FIFA World Cup hosted in Mzansi, which featured a geometric pattern.
Le Coq Sportif took over in 2020, and Bafana Bafana wore its kits when they qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, October 14.
With adidas returning as the technical sponsor, fans are eager to see the new design.
Questions remain about whether the brand will draw from South Africa’s past jersey heritage or introduce a completely new look.