Cameroon’s 2002 AFCON Sleeveless kit ranked the best kit in AFCON history by BBC

Nkwain Desmond December 29th, 2023, 5:35 am

Cameroon’s 2002 AFCON sleeveless kit has been ranked as the best kit in AFCON history by the BBC.

BBC ranked the top five best kits in the history of the tournament, and the Indomitable Lions’ controversial sleeveless kit from 2000 came out on top of the list.

Cameroon wore the kit when they won the 2002 AFCON trophy without conceding a single goal. Almost everyone who saw the kit loved it, including American tennis superstar Serena Williams, who even wore a dress inspired by the kit during the French Open that year.

However, FIFA was not a fan of the kit and banned Cameroon from wearing it in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. As a result, the kit’s producer, Puma, had to attach black sleeves to it.

FIFA spokesperson Keith Cooper said at the time that the kit was rejected because “they’re not shirts, they’re vests.”

Cooper added: “You can always expect something different from Cameroon, not only in terms of their shirts,” in a half-compliment half-jibe towards the Kings of Africa.

Cameroon found itself at the center of controversy again just two years later with the release of a onesie kit, where the shirt and shorts were stitched together to create a single garment for the 2004 AFCON. FIFA once again banned Cameroon from using the kit.

Here are BBC’s top five kits in AFCON history:

1. Cameroon 2002 (Home)