Collecting national team shirts from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
Another matchworn shirt from a Malta friendly, this time Czech Republic worn by former Slavia Pragua Midfielder Jaroslav Cerny (not to be confused with Jaroslav Cerny the Egyptologist). Another shirt with match details, and another shirt from the Malta kitman.
Another player issue shirt from the Malta kit man, and the first in my collection to be complete with match details. Ireland thrashed malta 5-0 on the 14th October 1998 in a Euro 2000 qualifier, although unfortunately no player wore (or were allocated) the number 24. It is likely that this was kept as a spare, so obviously not match worn, but its great to have a shirt with match details in the collection. Particularly an Ireland shirt whose replicas tend to have sponsor on.
9 years ago I started a mission to collect the national shirts of all of FIFA’s 208 members (now 211), Estonia seemingly want to play against all of FIFA’s members. They were proudly the only national team to have played against every other UEFA member, and quickly secured a friendly against Gibraltar when they joined. Since then they’ve also played St Kitts & Nevis from the Caribbean, as well as embarking on a tour of the pacific islands with friendlies against New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu.
This shirt was obtained via the Malta kit man, so presumably used by Sandir Puri in their 2016 friendly. Puri currently plys his trade in Ireland with Waterford his second Irish club after Sligo Rovers. He’s previously spent time in Scotland, England, Czech Republic, Finland, Estonia, Greece, Poland and Hungary, as well as having trials with Celtic and Borussia Dortmund.
The hedgehog on the back is a recent addition to the Estonia shirts. It’s supposed to be a metaphor for how they maybe tiny, but can be dangerous (or just massive pricks?).
Embed from Getty Images
England wore this shirt as they beat rivals Germany at Euro 200. Unfortunately both England and Germany exited at the group stages behind Portugal and Romania. This shirt itself is player issue, and came from a member of the England coaching staff, however details are a little sketchy as to which match, at which level, and who wore it.
Matchworn Oman shirt used in November’s Asia Cup Qualifer against Bhutan. Oman ran out 4-2 winners as they qualified for the 2019 Asia Cup. Bhutan on the other hand have lost all 5 matches so far with three narrow home defeats, and a couple of tonkings away from hom.
Now here’s a rare shirt, worn by Tunisia’s Imed Mizouri at the 1994 Rothmans international tournament in Malta. The Rothmans International Tournament is a biannual cup organised by the Malta FA featuring a mix of (mainy) international teams, mainly minor UEFA members such as Moldova, Iceland and Estonia. The likes of Russia, Algeria, Tunisia, Denmark and South Korea have previously taken part as well as the Est german Olympic team, FC Kaiserslautern and Hammarby IF.
I’ve not been able to find any match photos from the 1994 Rothmans International tournament, but a video of the Malta goal from their 1-1 draw with Tunisia is available on Youtube.
First seen in a World Cup qualifier against New Caledonia on 15/11/16. It was used the following year in friendlies against Fiji, Northern Ireland and Cabinteely. It made an appearance against Mexico at the 2017 Confederations Cup, and in the away leg of the World Cup PLay-off defeat to Peru, before making its final appearance in a friendly defeat to Canada (24/03/18).
Embed from Getty Images
An incredibly rare national shirt worn by the Respresentation of Czechs and Slovaks after the break up of Czechoslovakia in 1993. The Czechoslovakia team had already begin their qualifying campaign for the 1994 World Cup in the USA, and continued to compete as a united team under the RCS name. They played just 7 games together before spilling into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic reached the final of the 1996 European Championship in their maiden tournament.
As far as I can see their design was only used once, in the 1-1 draw away to Cyprus. They wore the red version vs Romania, and a blue version of the famous Arsenal ‘banana’ kit away to Belgium and in both matches vs Wales, an all red at home to Cyprus. I have no idea what they wore in the match against the Faroe Islands.
Need your help identifying some of these opponents for matches against Gibraltar, I think most of them are club sides.
4Is it just me who keeps seeing Rochdale when seeing clips of Atalanta?
2
