It’s far more important than you may think, and teams spend a lot of time trying to think through exactly how their jersey should appear, what colors, designs, logos, and even what fabrics to use: modern sportswear have quite a few different fabric options, a lot more than cotton or polyester.

That’s why it’s pretty cool to see the new Bafana Bafana jersey for the 2010 FIFA World Cup:

The jersey is yellow with green trim, as you can see, and includes 11 threads to symbolize diversity in unity (there are 11 national languages in South Africa too, by no coincidence). The South African flag appears on the front and there are modern interpretations of traditional South African art on the collar.

There are two versions of the Bafana Bafana jersey, known as “Formotion” and “Techfit skin-tight”, both including climacool technology which helps control sweating and keep the player cool.

Want a replica to wear so you can start feeling that Bafana Bafana magic?  Adidas (the jersey sponsor) says that an official replica is already on sale throughout South Africa and it’s retailing for R599 ($80.22), while a T-Shirt that’s quite similar in appearance is R345 ($46.20).

Posted under 2010 World Cup