Zimbabwe's Warriors jersey honoured among the best kits in AFCON history

BY AGENCIES

LONDON – The Zimbabwe national football team, known as the Warriors, made a lasting impression at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) despite their early exit from the tournament – and this is in regard to their kit, regarded among the best in the history of AFCON.

Zimbabwe Warriors 2021 AFCON umbro jersey best kit

Home, away, and third kits by Umbro for the Warriors at AFCON 2021. The deal with Umbro lapsed this year.

Their unique Umbro jersey, which debuted during the qualifiers and features a design reminiscent of the Zimbabwe flag, has been recognized by BBC Sport as one of the best kits in the tournament's history.

Josh Warwick, co-founder of the Cult Kits website, contributed to the BBC Sport's list of top AFCON shirts in the lead-up to the 2023 AFCON edition in Ivory Coast.

"The Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has dished up plenty of sartorial highlights over the past 30 years of the continent's showpiece event.And, with retro kits back in fashion, several have become collector's items," the story opens.

Warwick lauded the Warriors' kit, stating, "This is definitely one of the best AFCON shirts of recent tournaments. The thick brushes of red, black, green and yellow are an entirely welcome assault on the eyes. Gorgeous."

The Umbro-designed Warriors' kit at AFCON 2021

The list of iconic AFCON kits by BBC Sport also includes other memorable kits such as South Africa's 1996 jersey, Zambia's 2013 shirt, Angola's 2010 jersey, and Cameroon's iconic sleeveless shirt from the 2002 tournament.

The 2023 AFCON edition is slated to take place from 13 January to 11 February, 2024.

However, Zimbabwe will not participate in the prestigious continental tournament due to a FIFA ban imposed on the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) in 2022.

In October 2023, ZIFA announced that Zimbabwe's national football teams secured a new technical partnership with German sportswear giant Puma, following the expiration of their previous deal with Umbro and the lifting of their FIFA suspension.

At the time, ZIFA said, "The deal is for all the national teams, including the junior sides. The Warriors will be using a new Puma kit when they start their 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in November."