The 2025 FIFA U-20 World Cup will kick off in Chile on Saturday, 27 September. The biennial tournament has long been a launchpad for greatness in Nigerian football, with a number of exceptional and talented individuals using it as a stepping stone to stardom.
The tournament has also been a breeding ground for future Super Eagles stars. As part of the countdown to Chile 2025, Completesports.com’s ADEBOYE AMOSU highlights players who first hit the headlines with the Flying Eagles at the FIFA U-20 World Cup before rising to prominence with Nigeria’s senior team, the Super Eagles
Mutiu Adepoju
The “Headmaster”, as Adepoju is fondly called, was one of the top performers for Nigeria at the 1989 FIFA U-20 World Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia.
Adepoju scored two superb goals in Nigeria’s semi-final victory over the United States of America.
The midfielder was part of the Super Eagles side that won the title at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia. He also featured at three FIFA World Cups (1994, 1998, 2002).
He scored six goals in 48 appearances for the three-time African champions.
Julius Aghahowa
Julius Aghahowa came into the limelight after impressing for the Flying Eagles at the 1999 FIFA U-20 World Cup on home soil.
Less than a year later, the forward was named in the Super Eagles squad for the 2000 Africa Cup of Nations, which Nigeria co-hosted with Ghana.
The then 18-year-old had a fairytale introduction at the competition, scoring Nigeria’s second goal in the 2-0 win over Morocco. He also netted both goals in the dramatic 2-1 victory over Senegal in the quarter-final.
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Aghahowa, who scored 14 goals in 32 matches for the Super Eagles, finished as top scorer at the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations.
John Mikel Obi
The talented midfielder represented the Flying Eagles at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. Mikel won the Silver Ball as the second-best player at the tournament, behind the legendary Lionel Messi.
The former Chelsea star went on to make 91 appearances for the Super Eagles, playing a pivotal role in the team’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 2013.
He also captained the Super Eagles team that won bronze at the 2019 AFCON finals in Egypt.
Samson Siasia
Samson Siasia was a key member of the Flying Eagles team that finished third at the 1985 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
His performance at the competition earned him an invitation to the Super Eagles, where he later established himself as one of the team’s key players.
Siasia was part of the Super Eagles’ “Golden Generation” that won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia, and also qualified for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States (Nigeria’s maiden appearance).
He registered 13 goals in 51 appearances for Nigeria.
Taiye Taiwo
Known for his powerful shots, Taiwo made 54 appearances for the Super Eagles. He played at three AFCON tournaments and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
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The left-back came into prominence at the 2005 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Benin Republic, where he helped the Flying Eagles win the title.
The 40-year-old also shone at the World Cup in the Netherlands, where he was named the third-best player behind John Mikel Obi and Lionel Messi.
Ahmed Musa
The versatile forward scored three times for Nigeria at the 2011 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations hosted by South Africa.
Musa later graduated to the Super Eagles, and is currently Nigeria’s most capped player with 111 appearances.
The Kano Pillars captain holds the record as the only Nigerian to score at two FIFA World Cups. He is also Nigeria’s top scorer at the tournament with four goals.
Joseph Yobo
Alongside Julius Aghahowa, the versatile defender graduated from the Flying Eagles’ 1999 squad to the Super Eagles.
Yobo made his senior international debut against Zambia in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier in March 2001, and later became a defensive mainstay.
The former Everton star captained the Super Eagles at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He also led the West Africans to Africa Cup of Nations glory in 2013.
Chinedu Obasi
Obasi was part of the Flying Eagles side that finished second at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. He received his first senior national team invitation the same year.
The 39-year-old was part of the Super Eagles side to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola, and the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Although injuries disrupted his career, he managed four goals in 26 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Brown Ideye
The 36-year-old scored once in five appearances for the Flying Eagles at the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada. Three years later, he was named in the Super Eagles’ squad for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.
Ideye played a key role in Nigeria’s successful campaign at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, where the Super Eagles won a third title. He scored in the semi-final victory over Mali and started the final against Burkina Faso.
Obinna Nsofor
Nsofor was a member of the Flying Eagles side that won the title at the 2005 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Benin.
Less than a year later, he was named in the Super Eagles’ 2006 Africa Cup of Nations squad. He scored once in three appearances at the competition.
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The former Inter Milan star also played at AFCON 2010, and was included in the squad to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
He registered 12 goals in 48 appearances for the Super Eagles.
Elderson Echiejile
Echiejile was a member of the Flying Eagles team at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada. The left-back scored once in five matches at the competition.
The former Monaco defender made his debut for the Super Eagles two years later, and was selected for the 2010 World Cup.
He won the AFCON 2013 title with the Super Eagles.
Sani Kaita
The defensive midfielder caught the eye with his impressive displays for the Flying Eagles at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. He played all seven matches for Nigeria at the competition.
Kaita made his debut for the Super Eagles a few months later in a friendly against Romania. He was also included in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Uche Nwofor
The striker was top scorer at the 2011 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in South Africa with four goals in five games.
Nwofor hit the headlines at the World Cup after coming off the bench to score a brace in Nigeria’s opening game against Croatia.
He made the Super Eagles’ roster for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Dele Adeleye
Adeleye was part of the Flying Eagles team that finished second at the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup in the Netherlands. He earned a move to Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam after the competition.
The centre-back made his debut for the Super Eagles in a friendly against Ireland on 29 May 2009.
The 36-year-old, who was part of the Super Eagles squad to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, featured 10 times for the team.
Benjamin Fredrick
The 20-year-old featured for the Flying Eagles at the 2023 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations and the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Currently on loan at Belgian Pro League outfit Dender EH from Premier League club Brentford, Fredrick debuted for the Super Eagles in the Unity Cup invitational final fixture against the Reggae Boys of Jamaica in May.
The young defender also shone in Nigeria’s recent 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa.
1 Comment
If Chelle had not propped up Fredricks, the last semblance of promotion from our under 20 to the super Eagles was in 2011, 14 years ago.
So much for having talent in all the 36 states.
Anyway, why will they be promoted when many used football age to short circuit their footballing career?
Sadly, the trend is still on in the present under 20.
Thanks to our foreign born pros who mostly decide to play for us after a second thought.
Perhaps, it’s also gone into their heads that a suitable “nursery” for their replacements doesn’t exist so they can afford to fail twice in qualifying for the world cup and none is “sorrowful”.
Grassroots football? Gone.
Local league? Nothing to write home about.
National team? Unserious lackeys.
This too shall pass.
2030 world cup qualifiers will not have a lot of the current squad and hopefully that should teach the next set of the “star studded Eagles” that failure is as real as success.
The sad truth is we will slide in rankings if we bungle the next afcon and that means one thing: pot 2 or 3 in future cup draws.
Knowing how unserious our players can be, I wouldn’t take that new “low” (current ranking is the lowest we’ve been in 6 years) past them next year – BECAUSE OF ONE THING BEING SHIED AWAY FROM: LACK OF COMPETITION FOR SPACES.
The good news is Super Eagles will still exist after them whether they play football in the moon or stars.
We’ll just hold our breath and watch them canter into history and oblivion for not taking national team football seriously.
Back to back world cup failures by at most 17 players per match? None couldn’t tell the other their market value is at stake if they fumbled?
They should get out – all of them.