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Matchworn Bernard Parker 25.06.09 BRA 🇧🇷 : ZAF 🇿🇦 1-0 (Confederations Cup)
Manufacturer: Adidas
Source: Collector
Remember, when you were eagerly anticipating the next Confederations Cup and you hardly slept the previous nights? You don’t? Me neither!
Established in 1992, the Confederations Cup was contested by the holders of each of the six continental championships, along with the host nation of the upcoming World Cup and the last World Cup winner. It was a great opportunity for the big nations to test out their reserve squads and delight the masses with mediocre football. In 2013, even surprise OFC winners Tahiti had a chance to finally get beat up by the world’s best nations, conceding 23 goals in just three games!
As the Confederations Cup was mostly met with lukewarm enthusiasm, the tournament was finally abolished for good after its 2017 edition, and FIFA decided to give the fans what they really want: an extended FIFA Club World Cup…
The 2009 Confederations Cup was a special event, though, as it marked the first global football tournament held in Africa – one year before South Africa would host the vuvuzela-ridden 2010 World Cup.
Leaving behind Iraq and New Zealand, South Africa would advance to the semi-finals where they lost 1-0 against eventual champion Brazil.
THE SHIRT
It was this semi-final against Brazil where my shirt got exposed to the warm and humid South African air. Worn by South Africa’s third best goalscorer Bernard Parker (23 goals in 72 appearances), the shirt was exclusively designed for the Confed Cup and features a culturally inspired pattern with the national team’s badge incorporated into the design. Being matchworn, it obviously features Adidas’ “Formotion” technology with transferred stripes and a rubber Adidas logo. Both national team and federation badge are embroidered, though. Whoever designed the number and nameset didn’t manage to pick the right shade of yellow at all! Instead, the numbers have what appear to be sprinkles of glitter inside them. Fabulous! As a connoisseur of sleeve patches, I really appreciate the special Confederations Cup patch that South Africa wore for being the tournament’s host nation.
It’s definitely a stunner of a shirt!
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