Now Sepp tells Lions to get kit off

"They are saying that after the group stage, the playing kit has to be changed into standard outfit with shorts and shirts separately. But this is a tournament run by the African Confederation and we have the CAF's approval. We have gone by the book. "

Cameroon's " Indomitable Lions", who beat Zimbabwe 5-3 in a thrilling clash yesterday, turned up at the 2002 tournament sporting sleeveless shirts which were subsequently banned by FIFA.

The dispute has put Blatter on another collision course with Cameroon's CAF chief Issa Hayatou who stood against the Swiss in a bitter presidential election battle in 2002. Puma are also a rival of World Cup sponsors Adidas.

The legality of the suits will be discussed at the next meeting of the ruling-making International Football Association Board in London at the end of February.

Trulsson said the new suits were a boost to FIFA's campaign to stop shirt-pulling. Like England's Rugby World Cup shirts, they are hard to grab hold of. It is also impossible for players to take the shirts off to celebrate a goal - another FIFA concern - and, according to Puma, ensure that shirts always look neat and tidy.

He said: "It seems what Mr Blatter says sometimes is taken out of proportion. The sad thing here is that the public have been in favour.

"Cameroon are a global statement team. They deliver a story and they are very much an entertaining team and everyone's second favourite team since the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

"It is all over the top. It's a playing kit, it functions and it does not present Cameroon with any advantage over other teams."

England's rugby kit manufacturer Nike has also developed a one-piece "sprinters" suit for fast wingers and fullbacks. But it is currently banned by the International Rugby Board.