Top scorer Victor Osimhen and captain Kelechi Nwakali both made their mark on the competition, and after winning the adidas Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, the latter followed in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos, who are now key members of the senior sides with their respective national teams. Osimhen set a new U-17 World Cup goalscoring record
adidas Golden Ball: Kelechi Nwakali (Nigeria)
The captain of the Golden Eaglets was included in Nigeria’s provisional squad ahead of the 2013 edition, but was not named in the final party that went on to win the title. Here, however, the playmaker was the first to lift the trophy aloft. He scored three goals, including two penalties, and provided a further three assists, a haul that also brought him the adidas Bronze Boot.
adidas Silver Ball: Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Even before the tournament kicked off in Chile Osimhen was touted as a favourite to win the adidas Golden Ball, having scored 39 goals in 71 outings for his country at that point, and finished as top scorer at the U-17 African Championship in March. The striker, who names Côte d’Ivoire forward Didier Drogba as his role model, more than lived up to expectations in Chile after finding the net in all seven games at the competition. Osimhen put his side 1-0 up on four occasions and his effort in the final – his tenth goal overall – set a new tournament record, beating the previous best-mark set by Côte d’Ivoire’s Souleymane Coulibaly in 2011 and France’s Florent Sinama Pongolle in 2001. Osimhen duly finished as top scorer in South America, and would doubtless not begrudge his team captain, of all players, pipping him to what would have been a second golden award.
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