The Black Satellites of Ghana deservedly won the 2009 African Youth Championship in Rwanda, playing the best football. Also, in Ransford Osei, they paraded the most lethal finisher of the continental tournament; he hit seven goals.
On the other hand, their perennial rivals, the Flying Eagles of Nigeria, failed to reach the final after they were upset by Cameroon. But after some major re-organization in the team, which included the replacement of coach Ladan Bosso with Samson Siasia, they appear to be back on track.
Nigeria's World Cup aspirations have been further enhanced by the fact that they are in an easier first round group than their Ghanaian counterparts.
No African team has yet won the Under-20 World Cup, 32 years since it first kicked off, incidentally on the Mother Continent, in Tunisia.
Africa's best performances at this level of world football have been achieved by Nigeria and Ghana.
After placing third at the 1985 edition in the former Soviet Union, the Flying Eagles reached the final of the competition in 1989 only to fall apart against a Portuguese side replete with the likes of Joao Pinto, Paulo Sousa and Fernando Couto.
It would not be until 2005 in the Netherlands that Nigeria again graced the tournament final, only to again fall at the last hurdle to an Argentine team inspired by a certain Lionel Messi.
Ghana have also come close to becoming world champions at youth level. They were beaten by Brazil in the 1993 finals in Australia, before they lost to hosts Argentina in the 2001 final. In the class of 2001 were the likes of John Mensah, Michael Essien and John Paintsil, who are now accomplished full internationals.
Both Ghana and Nigeria therefore have the pedigree to go all the way at Egypt 2009.
The Satellites coach, Sellas Tetteh, has kept faith with the squad that topped the African Championship, and this has been further strengthened by the return of the Real Madrid full-back Daniel Opare and Rabiu Mohammed.
Ismael Yartey, once described as 'Africa's Ryan Giggs' after dazzling at the 2007 FIFA Under-17 World Cup, was dropped from the party to Cairo amid bribery allegations by the player against Tetteh.
The controversy from this allegation would rock any team, but officials hope the Satellites can quickly put behind them this sordid episode and get on with the job on the pitch.
The team's build-up for this competition was chaotic as several proposed overseas training tours were called off at the last minute.
"Ghana will make an impact in Egypt," declared Nice midfielder Adeiku Quansah, who is a cousin of Fulham's Paintsil.
"We were champions (in Rwanda) because we were determined to succeed. We had to take something back home because it had been a long time that Ghana had won something internationally.
"It is the same belief that we take with us to Egypt."
Nigeria, on the other hand, are in Egypt with no less than 10 players who did not feature at the African Championship. The new additions include new skipper Odion Ighalo, who was not in Rwanda after his Italian club, Udinese, refused to release him for the competition, Mohammed Shehu Shagari of Kano Pillars and Bayelsa United striker Stanley Ohawuchi.
The have come in place of the likes of Karlsruhe striker Macauley Chrisantus and central defender Kingsley Udoh, the country's top stars when they won the Under-17 World Cup two years ago.
The Flying Eagles still boast top quality players like Rabiu Ibrahim and Lukman Haruna, goalkeeper Dele Ajiboye and Ighalo, who has been in fine scoring form in the build-up to this tournament.
However, the real star of this team is the coach himself. A former international, Siasia has endeared himself to the ever critical Nigerian fans after guiding the country to the final of the 2005 World Youth Championship as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Observers say that the former Nantes striker could further boost his claim for Nigeria's top coaching job if his team are crowned champions in Egypt; first he must get through a first round group that contains debutantes Venzuela and Tahiti.
Africa's other representatives are hosts Egypt, Cameroon and South Africa.
The Young Pharaohs will be under intense playing in front of their home fans after some rather indifferent results in warm-up matches.
Cameroon will be propelled by an impressive team spirit and character, while South Africa's Amajita will again showcase some very exciting stars like Ajax Cape Town striker George Maluleka and Kermit Erasmus, who features for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
The African flags will fly high for the next three weeks in the land of the pyramids with Ghana and Nigeria the standard bearers.
