AFCON 2023: Ranking the 10 Best Kits

Senegal

While it uses a white main background, the colors from Senegal's national flag (red, yellow, green) take up judicious space in front, a v-shaped panel with stripes of the same color adorning the sleeves’ hems and neckline. It’s still a relatively better offering from Puma.

Egypt

​The Pharaohs’ kit, designed by Puma, will be worn again in Ivory Coast. And those familiar with it will notice that nothing has changed. In bold red, there are seven vertical stripes in the front to represent the seven times Egypt has won the title. There are also seven stars across the Egypt FA crest and an Arabic inscription at the back.

Ivory Coast

The Elephants are still showing up in orange fury, and a contender to win the AFCON title. Their iconic orange jersey comes with green and white accents, with translucent graphic stripes running down the body.

Nigeria

Rumors about Nike dropping a new Nigerian kit for AFCON 2023 circulated last year, which turned out not to be true. So the West African country is stuck with its old shirt for the duration of the new tournament. Released in 2022, Nike had hired Nigerian designer Adeju Thompson of Lagos Space Programme to design the jersey.

Adeju, an adire practitioner, used dyeing techniques to create a mosaic that funneled history and culture for the pine-green kit (home). But it was widely misunderstood. The white kit (away) is a lot safer and less controversial. In fact, it cleanly utilizes green and white colors, incorporating raglan sleeves and geometric patterns across the shoulders.

Tunisia

Italian sports brand, Kappa, recently unveiled Tunisia’s official kit for 2024. While it’s a red polo shirt, it carries a lot of cultural resonance for the country. Featuring stylized tonal graphics of the famed Amphitheatre of El Jem, it also throws in white accents on the sleeves. The away shirt in white offers the same motifs and we can’t wait to see the Eagles of Carthage sporting them.

DR Congo

Manufactured by Umbro, the Democratic Republic of Congo debuted their 2023/2024 kit during their 2023 AFCON qualifying wins over Uganda and Gabon. They join Cape Verde in the teams offering refreshing hues of blue. It doesn't have fussy or garish detailing or motifs, just a blend of blue gradients and stripes of red on the sleeves. It keeps things nice and simple while still being appealing.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso’s new kit designed by local sports brand, Tovio, makes an update on their previous jersey. Against a primary base of tribal motifs in green (home), a streaking gash across the body reveals the national flag with its prominent yellow star. It’s one of the most creative designs we have seen coming into the competition.

The Gambia

The Gambia has a graphically rich home and away kit, made by Saller, a German sports company. Using a red base, the design incorporates Gambia’s national red, blue and green colors slanted across the chest. Then a jagged red graphic runs parallel to it. The Federation's crest is tastefully placed on the left while a large scorpion graphic features at the right. This is hoping the Scorpions can sting during the course of AFCON.

Cape Verde

Inspired by the 10 islands that form Cape Verde, it has dawned on us that Cape Verde is one of few teams with a kit in blue. Ending their deal with Adidas and turning to little-known Austrian brand Tempo Sport, their new kit still sports a dark blue base with neat red trims on the collar and sleeves. The shark graphic is gone from the last kit, though. In its place are granular shapes that represent all the Islands in the country.

Mali

French sportswear brand Airness has been responsible for Mali’s kits for over two decades. It’s a faithful relationship that we have somewhat admired, due to how the brand keeps trying to throw little design updates into the mix.

For AFCON 2023, they have maintained the tricolor stripes of yellow, green, and red from Mali’s national flag, but now appearing as claw marks slashing through the sides of the jersey. The marks constitute the abiding eagle motif at the center, a national symbol of strength and freedom. Opponents need to be careful because Mali are swooping in with a bird of prey.