The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is contemplating the dismissal of women’s national team head coach Randy Waldrum just weeks before the start of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
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This decision follows Waldrum’s repeated public criticism of the federation for their alleged lack of support in preparing the team for the tournament.
In a recent podcast interview, Waldrum expressed his frustrations with the federation’s interference in player selections, cancellation of training camps, refusal to accept his chosen staff members, and the ongoing issue of unpaid wages for himself and the players. He voiced his disappointment, stating, “We’ve known for quite a while that we qualified for this world cup, so you would have hoped that we would have used that time for preparation. Unfortunately, that hasn’t really been the case.”
The Nigerian team, known as the Super Falcons, had requested a two-week camp in Nigeria before heading to Brisbane for the tournament. However, the NFF refused the request, leaving Waldrum disheartened. He commented, “We have less days than a college pre-season to get ready for a world cup; it blows my mind.”
This is not the first time the Super Falcons have faced turmoil off the field. During the 2019 Women’s World Cup and last year’s African Cup of Nations, the team staged protests due to unpaid payments from the federation.
Waldrum also revealed that he was owed 14 months’ worth of salary until three weeks ago when he received payment for the first seven months. He highlighted that multiple players were owed outstanding “per diems” and bonuses from two years ago. Moreover, he raised concerns about the disappearance of FIFA‘s increased tournament preparation money, which was meant to be allocated to the women’s national teams.
Despite the challenges, Waldrum’s commitment to the players keeps him going. However, he emphasized the lack of support from the federation, stating, “In the two-and-a-half years that I’ve been here, I have never had one time that the federation came to me and asked, ‘what do you need, coach?'”
The NFF has not provided an official comment on the situation. Nigeria’s first game is scheduled against Canada on July 21, followed by matches against the Matildas and the Republic of Ireland on July 27 and 31, respectively.
Please note that the information in this article is based on the statements and claims made by the parties involved and may be subject to further developments or clarifications.
