'They came, they conquered, they never returned.'

This modified version of the well-known saying is rather fitting for Switzerland, who won the country’s first-ever global title at their historic maiden outing at a FIFA U-17 World Cup™ in 2009. Since lifting that trophy in Nigeria, however, the Swiss have never reached the tournament again.

“Lots of things always just have to come together for Switzerland,” said Dany Ryser in an interview with FIFA.com. Switzerland’s U-17 coach at the time, Ryser now works for UEFA and FIFA in coach education, and as a technical observer at tournaments. “You have to qualify in the first place and then there’s a lot more to do at the tournament itself. The dynamic we had in Nigeria hasn’t been repeated."

That success in Africa lives on though. “Nice memories come to the surface every so often,” Ryser said. “That win is talked about over and over again. They were unforgettable moments with the team during what was a long time in a very special environment. Such success would never have been possible without such a fantastic team spirit. After we beat Brazil in the group stage I felt that we could become world champions.”

Defender Charyl Chappuis likewise has fond memories, as he told FIFA.com: “It was probably the nicest period of my career. The conditions in Nigeria were undoubtedly special, but our togetherness and team spirit were unique.” And what did he make of Ryser? “I’ve never had another coach who was so meticulous about details. He set us up perfectly to face the opposition in every game."

But where are those young starlets now? Together with Ryser, we take a closer look back on the key players from Nigeria 2009.

Benjamin Siegrist (goalkeeper, 28)

Ryser: "He was very important for us. He kept us in a lot of games with his saves. I viewed him as a very focused young goalkeeper back then. After that, his development didn’t continue as we or he thought it would. The fact he went to England at a young age certainly contributed to him not having a hugely successful career, because there’s enormous competition for places over there as a goalkeeper.”

Frederic Veseli (captain and defender, 27)

Ryser: "He was my captain, an absolute leader. I knew he had a mistake in him in every game, but otherwise he was unbelievably reliable and very loyal. I’m delighted that he ended up playing at the European Championship in 2016, even if it was for Albania. He was very mature for a 17-year-old. I can still remember very clearly how he reacted when we were stuck in the airport before the final against Nigeria. He calmed me down by saying: ‘They won’t start the final without us’. That was impressive.”

Charyl Chappuis (defender, 28)

Ryser: "He was someone who was not only decisive in defence but also going forward. I advised him to move to Thailand back when he did, but I regretted it because he could also have had a great career in Europe if his coaches had believed in him more. Unfortunately, most Super League coaches didn’t want centre-backs smaller than 6’3” (1.90m) back then. It’s great what he’s gone on to achieve though. He’s a star in Thailand.”

Haris Seferovic (forward, 28)

Ryser: "With Nassim Ben Khalifa and Haris Seferovic we had an outstanding strike duo. But it wasn’t always easy with the two of them. They both played at Grasshopper Zurich but they didn’t really gel together. Neither wanted the other to score, they wouldn’t square a pass to a team-mate in front of goal because they wanted to score themselves. I talked to them and said: ‘If you two keep this up, I’ll only take one of you to the World Cup.’ Speaking to them separately, I asked them who they thought I would take. Both said Ben Khalifa. Yes, Nassim was further along in his development than Seferovic at the time, but I made it clear that if Seferovic was the only one putting the team first, then I’d leave Ben Khalifa at home. Both players really gave their all for the team at the tournament, they gelled brilliantly and scored decisive goals.”

Nassim Ben Khalifa (midfielder/forward, 28)

Ryser: "I always compared him to Mario Gotze. He had a superb tournament and joined Wolfsburg afterwards. He wasn’t able to break through there and then he had a serious injury. After that he was never again able to reach the level I saw in him."

Granit Xhaka (winger/midfielder, 28)

Ryser: "He was a late developer and at the time he wasn’t the leader he is today in the national team. He wasn’t a first-team regular in the U-16s because he was physically still a bit behind the others. But to me it was always clear that he had a huge amount of talent. He only got into the starting line-up as the World Cup got closer. Given his slight frame I didn’t think he was robust enough yet to thrive in central midfield on the international stage. That’s why I put him on the wing. I’m not surprised he’s gone on to have such a great career, and I’m really happy for him."

Ricardo Rodriguez (full-back, 28)

Ryser: "Ricardo only joined us a month before the tournament started because there had been delays with getting his naturalisation. I’ve never seen a player so unaffected by stress or pressure. He never lost his cool. He was an extraordinary player even back then."