A Nigeria B selection fell to a 3-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid in an exhibition match at the Godswill Akpabio international Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday, although the scoreline doesn't tell the full story of a fascinating fixture.
The team's impressive performance has largely overshadowed the loss, as the Eagles largely held their own against a team who were crowned Europa League champions earlier this month.
In this feature, KweséESPN run through the key talking points to emerge from Nigeria's memorable showing.
Nwakali brothers ran the show: Not since the pair of Kalu Uche and Ikechukwu Uche played and scored the goals which won Nigeria an international friendly against Zambia in November, 2011, have brothers lined-up together for the Super Eagles.
The seven-year wait was ended when the immensely talented duo of Chidiebere and Kelechi Nwakali started in midfield against AtletI. The pair certainly caught the eye with a superlative all-round performance.
Chidiebere, a renowned defensive all-rounder, began the game as the midfield anchor man, but displayed his versatility by ending up on the left side of attack. In a more advanced role, he troubled the opposition full-back with his impressive footwork, to the delight of supporters.
However, the younger Nwakali was perhaps Nigeria's standout player, displaying maturity beyond his years as he dictated the flow of the game and capped a brilliant performance with a breath-taking goal to beat the highly rated Jan Oblak.
The 19-year-old has clearly sent a bold message to the global audience, and having already discussed his desire to make an impact at Arsenal, it will be interesting to see if Unai Emery keeps him around next season.
Talent abounds in Nigeria: There was a bit of scepticism within the local media when it was revealed that a selection of home-based professionals, complemented by a handful of fringe overseas-based players, would represent Nigeria against a formidable Atletico Madrid team.
However, the selected players were unusually calm on the day, and appeared fearless in the face of Diego Simeone's side. Certainly, the pick of the NPFL didn't appear overawed by the challenge that awaited them.
The coaching crew must be commended for the cohesion displayed, and even though the team barely had enough time to train together, they did enough to remind the watching world of the talent that exists in the domestic top flight.
Concentration cost the team: A major downside to the commendable Super Eagles performance was an inability to effectively shut the door at the back.
Twice after taking the lead and rallying back, the hosts failed to sustain the momentum beyond six minutes, evidently losing concentration on at least two occasions.
The entire stadium had barely recovered from Nwakali's stunning opener, when Angel Correa capitalised on a virtually non-existent defence line to pull Atletico Madrid level two minutes later.
The same scenario repeated itself after Usman Mohammed's jaw-dropping equaliser.
The players appeared eager to push too high up the pitch to get the winner, and forgot to protect the goalkeeper, thereby presenting young forward Borja Garces with the chance to win the game for his side.
Mohammed turns overnight superstar: Nigeria has produced some wonderfully gifted players over the years, and Dream Team VI star Mohammed announced himself - perhaps - as the next in line following an outstanding display.
He relished the occasion, netted a fine goal, and demonstrated the kind of technical skill that reminded observers of Jay-Jay Okocha in his pomp.
His fine individual strike could be a springboard to greater things.