[1] The team is the most successful in international football for their age group, winning a record five FIFA U-17 World Cup titles[2] and have been runners-up on three occasions.

After the 2007 World Cup victory there was some discussion as to whether the success should be rewarded in the form of cash, or if longer-term investments were more suitable for teenage players.

In the final match they defeated Mexico for a second time, obtaining their fourth U-17 World Cup[7] and becoming the national team to win the most U-17 tournaments as at 2023.

The team were again the subject of age-cheating accusations when, a total of 26 players from the 60-strong squad were sent home from their training camp in 2016 after failing compulsory MRI scans used to determine age ahead of an African Cup of Nations qualifier.

[8] Amidst all the age cheating accusations, the team has never been found guilty of fielding overage players in any competition.