World Cup uniforms: A closer look at Group F's kits

With the 2014 FIFA World Cup getting underway later this week we've been taking a group-by-group look at what each of the uniforms the 32 participating nations will wear and how they compare to their kits of World Cups past.

We've already looked at the uniforms of Group A, Group B, Group C, Group D, and Group E. Today it's Group F with Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, and Nigeria.

ARGENTINA

Local name: Argentina
Flag: Three horizontal stripes, two light blue and one white with the "Sun of May" in the middle, created during the Argentine War of Independence in 1812 to give the side fighting for independence their own colors different from Spain.
World Cup Titles: 2 (1978, 1986)
World Cup Appearance: 16th (1930-34, 1958-66, 1974-2014)

There are very few guarantees in life... but one of them is what Argentina will wear at the World Cup. Since their very first World Cup appearance 84 years ago the Argentinians wear a white jersey with light blue vertical stripes. They're doing it again in 2014. The familiar jersey is based heavily off of the national flag and has the AFA's badge in one corner with two gold stars above for their World Cup wins in 1978 and 1986. On the shoulders are three black stripes, yup, this is an adidas jersey.

Argentina's secondary kits are dark navy blue as they've been since 1998, this year, however, it will include a slight gradient to royal blue as well as horizontal stripes. Three white stripes on each shoulder, again, adidas.

Argentina is painfully consistent in their uniforms over the years but there will be a change in 2014, for the first time EVER the Argentinians will be wearing white shorts with their primary jersey. Since 1930 they had always worn black, that will indeed be a very odd sight to see.

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BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Local name: Bosna i Hercegovina
Flag: Blue and yellow triangle with 7 full stars and 2 half stars. The three points of the triangle represent the three peoples of the country - Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. While the stars pay tribute to the European Union are are intended to be infinite in number.
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup Appearance: 1st (2014)

Bosnia and Herzegovina are making their debut at the World Cup in 2014, they are a relatively new country after all having only split from Yugoslavia in 1992. They will be taking the field in adidas designed uniforms.

Their primary kit is blue with the three adidas stripes on each shoulder in white, the BH national soccer federation crest in the one corner. The secondary jersey is white and nearly follows the same template as the primary, running into the adidas stripes is an additional blue diagonal slash on either sleeve, very reminiscent of their national flag design.

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IRAN

Local name: Irān
Flag: Three horizontal stripes - green (growth), white (peace), and red (martyrdom). The "tulip" emblem in the middle is a composite of various Islamic elements such as Allah and crescents (in addition to several others). Along the red and green bands is the words "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) eleven times.
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup Appearance: 4th (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014)

Iran will be wearing uniforms made by German athletic manufacturer Uhlsport, the only country in 2014 to do so. Their primary kit is white with a red horizontal stripe across the chest containing the Uhlsport logo, below this stripe is the national football association badge.

The secondary kit is red with green accents around the collar and cuffs, there is no horizontal stripe like on the primary. Found on both the primary and secondary is a sublimated cheetah design, this cheetah is specifically an Asiatic cheetah - found only in Iran and facing extinction. The design of the jerseys are meant to bring awareness to the Iranians attempts to keep this species alive. 

Iran has also forbidden its players from exchanging jerseys with their opponents following World Cup matches putting a stop to a long-lasting tradition in soccer. They have told the players they would only be supplied with one jersey throughout the tournament.

Iran's look throughout the years has been relatively consistent, they go with white as the primary kit with green and/or red trim as found on the national flag. In 1998 they wore uniforms designed by Puma which included "IRAN" across the front in large letters with red, white, and green stripes within.

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NIGERIA

Local name: Nigeria
Flag: Three vertical stripes, the outer two green stripes represent the forests and abundance of natural growth in the country while the white in the middle is for peace.
World Cup Titles: 0
World Cup Appearance: 5th (1994-2002, 2010-14)

Poor Nigeria, the 2014 tournament is their third consecutive World Cup appearance being placed in the same grouping as powerhouse Argentina. Like their flag, Nigeria wears green - two-toned green to be exact. The adidas designed kits have a lighter green body with dark green undersleeves and sides. Running up the front of the primary kit are thin and subtle pinstripes which meet with a horizontally running stripe connecting to the swatch of dark green on the sleeves.

The secondary kit is white with the lighter green seen in the primary on the shoulders and going up either side of the body. She's an adidas so we've got those three stripes on each shoulder. The badge on both the primary and secondary has an eagle perched on a soccer ball, the Nigerian club is known locally as the "Super Eagles".

The Nigerians have worn green for each of their World Cup appearances, in 2002 (while working with Nike) the club experimented with the only "powder green" uniform I've ever seen. It was a blinding sight watching the club on television in '02, thankfully adidas brought them back to a more respectable shade of green when they took the pitch again in South Africa for 2010.

That's all for Group F, come back tomorrow for Group G's uniforms with Germany, Ghana, Portugal, and the United States of America.