Talk about an own goal. Australian retail giant Kmart has been forced to issue a groveling apology after a spectacular merchandise fail ahead of the AFC Women's Asian Cup.
The embarrassing mistake was spotted on Kmart's website, where a model wearing a Matildas supporter top was photographed holding... wait for it... a yellow AFL Sherrin football. Yes, you read that right. The wrong type of football entirely.
The image appeared just days before the tournament kicked off in Perth on March 1 at Optus Stadium. Safe to say, Matildas fans weren't impressed.
Was It Really a Mistake?
Legendary football commentator Simon Hill didn't hold back on social media. He questioned whether the blunder was even accidental, suggesting it reflected how football in Australia constantly gets overlooked.
"I can't think of another place on the planet that would make this mistake...if indeed it is a mistake," Hill posted on X. He made a fair point too, asking whether anyone would dare show an AFL player with a soccer ball during grand final week. Probably not.
Football fans quickly piled on, with many pointing out the irony. Kmart actually sells official Matildas soccer balls both online and in their 300+ stores across Australia. One fan summed it up perfectly: "Just embarrassing. Shows just how 'thin' their support really is."
Tournament Implications and What's Next
Kmart eventually owned up, calling it a "genuine human error" and confirming they'd apologized to Football Australia and the Matildas. The image was quickly removed once spotted.
As for the actual football, the Matildas are off to a solid start in their Asian Cup campaign. They beat the Philippines 1-0 in their Group A opener thanks to captain Sam Kerr's goal, exactly what you'd expect from the tournament favorites.
The defending champions face Iran on the Gold Coast on Thursday night at 8pm AEDT before backing up against South Korea in Sydney on March 8. With the Matildas heavily favored to progress from their group, punters are watching closely as they chase their first Asian Cup title since 2010.
The real question now? Whether this PR disaster will hurt Kmart's Matildas merchandise sales or actually boost them through the publicity. Either way, someone in their marketing department is having a rough week.
