I’m reposting this to kick off the 28th Africa Cup of Nations today in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

Africa has produced some of the most talented and highest paid footballers in the world. The influx of African born nationals into European and global club play is on a steady rise. With the commencement of the African Cup of Nations, Puma has unveiled their amazing locally designed jerseys for their 10 sponsored nations represented in the tournament; here are the five that have qualified.

The array of jerseys were displayed at the month-long exhibition, Interpretations of Africa: Football, Art and Design,at the Design Museum in London. Artists were commissioned from the Creative African Network to design unique kits inspired by their country’s heritage, culture and traditions.

The new PUMA kits are designed to maximize the player’s performance. with a slim, body fitting cut to decrease on-the-pitch jersey grabs and display a players physique and skill. The fabric boasts PUMA’s U.S.P Moisture Management technology; this influences and enhances airflow and body performance by wicking moisture away from the body. This technology allows the body to stay at a performance homeostasis.

I am disastrously enamored with these jerseys and would like to own as many as I can. The designers did a great job, and I’m interested in seeing the goalkeepers duds as well as the kits in action. Hopefully, these kits do a lot more for these African nations than to showcase how talented their artists are.

Visit http://creative.puma.com, www.pumafootball.com, http://vision.puma.com, www.designmuseum.org if you’d like to know more or you just can’t get enough. And don’t forget to check out the 2012 African Cup of Nations to see these treads and awesome talent in life.

Here are the individual home jerseys and collaborative artist. Shame South Africa, Namibia, Cameroon, and Algeria did not qualify. Their kits were tight.