Since their first appearance at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 1983, Nigeria's Flying Eagles have produced a pathway for players to make it into the Super Eagles. That, after all, is the objective of youth football tournaments.
For Nigeria, between their first appearance and the 2019 tournament, each iteration of Flying Eagles have produced at least three players who have gone on to earn at least two senior international appearances for the Super Eagles.
By far the most successful class of Flying Eagles was the class of 2005, led by captain Issac Promise and the star power of John Mikel Obi. That iteration of Flying Eagles produced the most players to go on to play for the Super Eagles.
A total of 12 players went on to make at least two appearances for the senior team. Out of that number, eight made more than 10 appearances, for an average of nearly 30 appearances per player.
At the other end of the spectrum is the 2019 class, where only the trio of Ikouwem Udoh with four appearances, Valentine Ozornwafor and Igoh Ogbu with two appearances so far, have contributed the least and are not expected to make significant inroads into the national team.
As they open their campaign in Chile, here are five of the players who can potentially go on to become Super Eagles mainstays in the future while filling areas of immediate need in the current roster of the senior team.
Sani Suleiman, 19 (FWD/AS Trencin)
Left out of squad for the last edition, Suleiman has come up in leaps and bounds to earn his spot on the current team.
After joining Akwa United from Wikki Tourists in 2024, he scored 11 goals in 19 appearances for the Promise Keepers, earning himself NPFL Rookie of the Year honours, beating another Flying Eagles teammate Daniel Daga to the post and being a losing finalist in the Player of the Season award.
Suleiman is rated as the top talent in the Nigerian team and among the top teen prospects in global football. Good with both feet, he is quick, technically skilled and creative.
His move to Europe from Akwa United was no surprise and positions him as one for greater things. Suleiman has taken no time at all to settle down, setting down his marker with two goals and one assist from just five appearances from the Slovenian club side.
When things get tight for the Nigerians in Chile, Suleiman would be the one they will likely look to, to weave some moments of magic. And as fans call for more creativity in the Super Eagles, Suleiman could provide a potential option.
Ebenezer Harcourt, 15 (GK/Sporting Lagos)
Ebenezer Harcourt has already made Nigerian football history, becoming the youngest player ever, at just 15 years old, to make a senior appearance for Nigeria when he competed at the Africa Nations Championship (CHAN), making one appearance against Congo.
With goalkeeping being one area of struggle for the Super Eagles since the departure of Vincent Enyeama, Harcourt's development will be welcomed by the Super Eagles.
Fearless and commanding, he delivered some of his finest moments at the U-20 AFCON. Against defending champions Senegal in the quarter-final, Ebenezer saved two penalties in the shootout to send the Flying Eagles into the semi-finals, a result which also booked Nigeria's ticket to the U-20 World Cup.
With four consecutive starts and game-defining performances, Ebenezer is emerging as one of Africa's brightest young goalkeepers.
Orseer Achihi, 19 (LW/Antwerp)
Signed by Belgian club Royal Antwerp from PSF Academy in Nigeria this summer, Achihi offers echoes of former Everton forward Daniel Amokachi. Among his biggest strengths are his power, balance and pace.
The Flying Eagles team at the African tournament looked short of those qualities as they struggled to break down teams, and Achihi is expected to bring that missing piece quality upfront.
There are big expectations that those qualities would not only help the Flying Eagles, but also translate to the senior level in the near future.
Daniel Daga, 18 (DM/FK Molde)
One of two players making their return to this tournament, Daga is less of an unknown to Nigerian fans and more of a "waiting in the wings" talent.
During the qualifiers for the 2023 U20 AFCON tournament, Daga won three man of the match awards. A knee injury in the opening game against Senegal at the main tournament ruled him out for the remainder of the competition.
But he returned for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, where he was the youngest player on the Nigeria squad and started all Nigeria's games until they were knocked out by South Korea in the quarter-finals.
Daga received praise for his performances, including a standout showing in the Flying Eagles victory over Italy.
With holding midfield gradually becoming an issue for the Super Eagles, his strong tackling, spatial awareness and disruptive play will be expected to come in handy, not to mention his eye for goal, after scoring twice for Molde in just 12 appearances.
Odinaka Okoro, 18 (LB/Sporting Lagos)
Odinaka's story is an inspiring journey of coming from working in an aluminium shop in Owerri to finding a spot on the Sporting Lagos Academy, making it to the first team and all the way to representing Nigeria at the FIFA U-20 World Cup.
It is a journey that has taken grit and transformation. At Sporting Lagos, he rose to academy captain before becoming the very first graduate of the academy to join the first team.
A versatile player, Odinaka can play as a left back, left wing back and left midfielder. he made an instant impact at the U-20 AFCON, registering an assist in his debut and going on to start every match of the campaign.
Not only is he expected to be one of the standout players for Nigeria, his story of hard work and overcoming places him in good stead to fill a what is a weak area in the Super Eagles.