Away 2010/12
Manufacturer: Adidas (Fake)
Source: C.A.R. Football Association
THE COUNTRY
Along with South Africa and Northwest-Europia, the Central African Republic makes it relatively easy to be spotted on a map. While the geographical center of Africa is actually located in the Republic of the Congo, the CAR’s location on the African continent is central enough to be worthy of bearing this name.
Other facts about the country, however, cannot be pictured as lighthearted as this introduction:
The country ranks lowest in GDP, second lowest in the Human Development Index, is considered the unhealthiest country as well as “the worst country in which to be young”.
On top of that, the country has faced countless civil wars in the last decades.
Given these issues, the country’s focus obviously wasn’t the development of its football, hence, the CAR’s footballing achievements have been negligible. Yet, the team managed to win the 2009 CEMAC Cup and climbed up to a remarkable 49th place in the FIFA ranking in 2012.
Currently, the squad mainly consist of Europe-based players, such as Atlético Madrid’s Geoffrey Kondogbia, who is also the country’s captain.
THE SHIRT
I’m not 100% sure about the authenticity of the shirt. While it’s certainly not a genuine Adidas shirt – which is no surprise, even in professional African football – the fact that it’s a replica makes it certainly questionable. It nicely incorporates the countries flag with asymmetrical colored stripes on the shoulder and the sides. Moreover, it features a fantastic looking embroidered badge, which gives me some hope, that it’s authentic after all.
The collector I bought it from, in any case, claimed it was sourced directly from the CAR’s capital Bangui.
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