The anthracite and black colours set to inspire the ‘Glamour Boys’ this season

In keeping with the panache that earned them the signature nickname “The Glamour Boys”, Kaizer Chiefs will appear, for the first time in their history, in a striking anthracite and black away kit for the upcoming season.

The new season will see the team turning out in a stylish anthracite jersey, accentuated by black sleeves, with a subtle hint of thin gold trim to add a touch of understated elegance to the crew neck collar and sleeve cuffs. Black shorts and anthracite socks complete the refreshing look of the bold new kit, which serves as a perfect complement to the recently unveiled gold and black striped home shirt.

Traditionally, as an alternative to their iconic home colours, the club has always taken to the field in either a dark blue or white kit in their 45 year history but Chiefs marketing director, Jessica Motaung, believes the new apparel will be a big hit amongst the Amakhosi faithful.

“Our new away kit is a deviation from previous ones but, thanks to the creative innovation of our long-standing technical partners, Nike, we believe that we have come up with a design that looks most impressive on the players and will prove to be very popular with our loyal supporters,” she said.

While this new kit represents the proud heritage of the club, it also offers players the very latest in Nike performance innovation, fabric technology, moisture management and environmental sustainability.

The away jersey will be available online via www.kcdigistore.com from July 28 and at the Kaizer Chiefs retail store at the Village in Naturena, Vodacom World and leading retailers from July 30.

GRAVITY-DEFYING CONSTRUCTION AND FIT

In the modern game each player now covers 17 percent more of the pitch than their predecessors five years ago, as well as making 37 percent more sprints during a game.

To meet the needs of this faster and more challenging game, Nike has designed an updated kit to enhance performance by allowing players to feel as light and agile as possible.

This new lightweight kit, with greater ventilation than ever before, was created to work with the body in football motion and encourage even more fluid movement.

By feeling as light, natural and comfortable as possible, and also eliminating any distractions, this newly constructed kit will both elevate the senses and give players absolute focus on their games. Players may feel as if they are flying across the pitch, and actually defying gravity.

For optimum ventilation, the new and improved fit of the shirt is firm and tight around the shoulders, and looser around the waist.

The shirt also boasts a new innovation this season. The sleeves are now constructed as a single panel across the shoulders to provide both a contemporary and a tighter look, with a stronger and more imposing presence on the pitch.

The shirt features Nike’s best-ever performance neckline, crafted to be almost unnoticeable for players.

NIKE DRI-FIT TECHNOLOGY DELIVERS INCREASED VENTILATION

Nike Dri-FIT technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the jersey and short, where it quickly evaporates, and keeping players cooler, drier and more comfortable.

Laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels in key areas are designed to improve performance by increasing air circulation and helping regulate body temperature.

The jersey features engineered mesh fabric in both its front and back panels to increase airflow and facilitate enhanced movement.

THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY KIT EVER

Nike places sustainable innovation at the heart of its kits through the use of recycled polyester, delivering unrivaled performance and lower environmental impact.

Each piece of the kit – shirt, shorts and socks – is constructed with recycled polyester, which is made from recycled plastic bottles melted down to produce a fine yarn then used to create the fabric. Each kit uses an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles. Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than two billion plastic bottles from landfills into recycled polyester – enough to cover about 3,500 football pitches.

By using recycled polyester, Nike is also reducing the energy consumed in the manufacturing process by up to 30 percent compared to virgin polyester. For more information, visit nikebetterworld.com.