Following the launch of the team’s new home jersey last week, Kaizer Chiefs and Nike are proud to introduce Amakhosi’s new away kit for the 2016/17 season.
Featuring Nike’s unique Dri-FIT fabric technology, the strip retains the club’s traditional colour combination. The front body of the jersey is halved in harlequin style down the centre, with black fading into gold on one side and gold fading into black on the other. The back body of the shirt is predominantly black, covering the area where the players’ names and numbers appear, fading into gold towards the bottom of the garment. The sleeves are black and there is a gold band around the back of the v-neck collar.
The new offerings received the enthusiastic approval of Chiefs’ Marketing Director, Jessica Motaung, who said: “It is necessary for teams to have two strips to avoid colour clashes when travelling away and we are delighted with the designs Nike have come up with. In addition to being a perfect way of celebrating the 15th anniversary - and extension of our contract - with our technical sponsors, the new kit will bring style to the playing field and also offer our supporters some variety in the way they express their loyal support for the club.”
Motaung went on to suggest that the new jersey might remind some older Amakhosi fans of the first kit Nike designed for Kaizer Chiefs back in 2001, in which they won the continental Mandela Cup competition.
“The 2001/02 jersey was worn by Nelson Mandela himself and the signed replica is one of the club’s most prized possessions,” she continues, “as we celebrate Mandela month in South Africa, and our renewed partnership with Nike, we felt the need to reflect on this history of Kaizer Chiefs.”
Nike Dri-FIT Technology
Nike’s Dri-FIT Technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the shirts and shorts, where it quickly evaporates. This allows players to perform at their best by remaining cooler, drier and more comfortable.
The laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels in key areas of the kit are designed to improve performance by increasing air circulation to the players’ bodies and helping regulate their temperatures.
Just as the home jersey, the away jersey is crafted using mesh fabric that makes up the full front and back panels of the shirt, increasing airflow and facilitating enhanced movement.
Commitment to Sustainability
Nike leverages sustainable innovation for its football kits through the use of recycled polyester, delivering unrivaled performance and lower environmental impact.
The kit’s shirt and shorts are constructed with recycled polyester fabric, which is made from recycled plastic bottles melted down to produce a fine year. Each kit is made using approximately 16 recycled plastic bottles. Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than three billion plastic bottles from landfills into recycled polyester, enough to cover about 5,200 football pitches.
George Lebese also endorsed the new strip with a double thumbs-up. “This is my favourite jersey”, the Chiefs midfield maestro commented, “I love the design and believe it will inspire us just as it inspired the Mandela Cup winning generation.”
The new away kit will be available on 27 July, exclusively at Kaizer Chiefs Retail Stores in Naturena and Tramshed Shopping Centre in Pretoria, and online at www.kcdigistore.com.
The kit will also be available from Nike Stores and leading retailers from late August.
The home kit is available at leading retail stores as well as the Nike and Kaizer Chiefs retail stores.
The team will wear the jersey during away matches and where there is a clash of colour with the host teams.