Nigeria World Cup kit sells out in minutes as fakes flood Lagos markets

It’s the World Cup’s most anticipated football kit. The queues snaked down London’s Regent’s Street on Friday as Nigeria fans waited to get their hands on the jersey.

Some of the fans queued outside Nike’s flagship store for several hours in the morning to get into the store.

Since Nike unveiled its streetwise design for the Nigeria’s World Cup team kit three months ago, there has been a frenzy online from people eager to splash out $90 for a shirt.

CNN spoke to Nigeria fans waiting to buy the jersey outside the store. They said they would be rooting passionately for the team, and a few were keen to buy the kit ahead of Nigeria’s pre-tournament friendly with England on Saturday.

"We are so fly, you can't blame us," say Nigerian football fans as the World Cup jersey sells out in minutes. pic.twitter.com/aOAwsNUe0L

— CNN Africa (@CNNAfrica) June 1, 2018

“We have to support the Super Eagles. We have to support our country,” one said.

While another said it was “the nicest World Cup kit, this is the best, of this World Cup, they are the nicest. People of other cultures are trying to copy ours so we are so fly, you can’t blame us.”

Hours later the bright green and white jersey appeared to have sold out everywhere, leaving fans disappointed.

This is the Nike shop in Lagos. The entire stock of Nigeria World Cup kits is sold out. pic.twitter.com/6S7IVd6WlS

— Editi Effiòng (@EditiEffiong) June 1, 2018

Nike UK said in a tweet that it currently had no plans to restock the merchandise, prompting angry responses online from fans already frustrated from having to wait weeks for the kit’s release.

At this time there is no restock planned for the Nigeria collection. | https://t.co/pciYLpg03j

— Nike UK (@NikeUK) June 1, 2018

Counterfeit industry

The decision is sure to fuel the market for counterfeit jerseys. Fake versions of the Nigeria kit have been openly on sale in Nigeria for at least a month.

CNN recently visited the area and found shops selling replica versions of several country’s World Cup kits including Brazil and England.

The replica jerseys are made in Thailand, one of the sellers told us and were selling for between $20 to $40 depending on the quality, while more lower grades are selling for around $5.

Seller Ronke Oni told CNN the anticipation for kits before they were released on Friday fueled demand for the replicas.

“People started buying the 1994 US World Cup jersey a lot when the new Nigeria jersey didn’t come out early. I got the new Nigeria jersey last month from Thailand. It sells faster and it’s cheaper. The most popular one is the home jersey. It’s hotcake right now.”

Oni told CNN she mostly sells the fake jerseys online and via social media.

“Most Nigerians, I don’t think can afford the original,” she said. “The replica is the same as the original, except you look closely at it.”

Some analysts think that Nike waited too long to make the kits available and created space for bootleggers like Oni to cash in on demand.

Sport journalist Godwin Dudu-Orumen, who runs a sports academy in Lagos, said: “The kits are not readily available. If I want to buy one and I can’t find it, more than likely the man on the street will go for the one that’s fake. They need to ensure that the kit arrives in good time, don’t wait until expectations are climbing.”

“Four to six weeks ago, someone asked me but I didn’t know where to get one and now fake kits are being sold on the streets. You can dilute that demand by making the kit available in good time.”

Football kit economies