NIKE Likely To Scrap Deal With Super Eagles

Sports kit manufacturing company Nike may currently be reviewing their partnership with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. The company gave a hint of their intentions in a letter sent to the NFF on Thursday, asking the federation to furnish them with some facts.

NAN reports that the review may not be unconnected with the ratings of the Super Eagles, the senior national male football team, which is NFF’s major selling point.The team’s current position in the latest FIFA rankings is 66th position in the world and 14th in Africa, their worst ever.

NAN also understands that the barrage of criticism which surrounded the NIKE deal when it was announced might have also necessitated the review of the partnership. It is also understood that performances of the other nine national teams including the Golden Eaglets and Super Falcons would also be reviewed by NIKE.

Already, Mohammed Sanusi, the NFF General Secretary, has asked Ademola Olajire, the Federation’s Assistant Director of Communications, to furnish him with the team’s latest status in football. NAN reports that NFF had signed the partnership deal with NIKE to run from April 1, 2015 to 2018 after the expiration and non-renewal of its deal with Adidas.

The NIKE deal is worth $750,000 in the first year, with NIKE supplying kits worth $1million to Nigeria in the year 2017 and 2018. The partnership was expected to see the American sports brand design and develop football kits for both the country’s men and women national football teams until 2018. The three-and-a-half year contract was signed by NFF President Amaju Pinnick and Sanusi, with Tina Salminen, NIKE’s African Football Sports Marketing Director, representing the company.