World Cup 2010 Jerseys: Cameroon.

May 13th, 2010 | by: chris | View Comments

The Indomitable Lions and Puma have combined to become the fashion bad boys of international football. They don’t really care for FIFA’s rules and don’t really want to hear about it. Back in early ‘02 they ran out a sleeveless kit which was met with lots of legal memos from the boys of FIFA, which then necessitated a quick change before the World Cup. They then responded with football’s first post-lion mauling onezie, a one-piece shirt-short combo that might actually have bloused if they’d used body paint.

Both ideas failed, and in ‘06 they came back with one of the best kit graphics ever – the angry, and presumably indomitable, lion. Only problem is they forgot to make the World Cup.

It appears both Puma and Cameroon have shied from their youthful wild ways in their old age, running out a kit very similar to Puma’s other African teams, and not much different from ‘06. A good shirt, but not quite the visionary rebellion for which we’d been hoping.

Cameroon Home Shirt

Want one? Buy the Cameroon World Cup home shirt in our store.

The lion, for firsts, is no longer engulfing the front of the shirt in full battle roar, instead whimpering into the corner. Perhaps the stance of strength didn’t work last time – clearly, since they watched Germany from Cameroon (with a telescope) – and Puma’s kit designers got a hold of some Sun Tzu? The lion’s still roaring, but it’s not as forceful or fearsome; a roar of indifference. And yes, we can judge the strength of a lion’s roar – fair…err…game.

Then again, the second lion is a nice touch, and they’re only one short of having a pride on their shirt with the pride.

Puma may have dropped the ball here as well. Pride, lads – pride!

Cameroon Away Shirt

Want one? Buy the Cameroon World Cup away shirt in our store.

The basic pattern is the same: the corner cutoff, the red trim on the sidelines and the rest of the shirt in one color – this time the other end of the flag, yellow – but with a twist. There are four thin red lines, raw and appearing hand-painted, running down the front of the kit, as well as four on the small portion of the back with Puma’s favored backless dress area designed for name and number.

I quite like the front on the away edition, but the back just doesn’t cut it for me. Perhaps it’s the thick, thick font (although the detail of appearing painted on with brush imperfections is again very nice), the drooping back, or the worry that Roger will break a hip trying to celebrate his twelfth goal of the tournament.

To be fair, Cameroon’s kits are nice, but rather pedestrian by their own lofty standards. Nothing more than a victim of their own success.