Nigeria Women's team head coach, Randy Waldrum, has expressed his frustration over the team's inadequate preparation for the World Cup due to a lack of support from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
The news of Nigeria's issues with its football governing bodies comes following Canada Football's announcement that it may need to file for bankruptcy. Both Canada and Nigeria are in the same World Cup pool as Ireland and Australia.
In a recent interview on The Sounding Off Of Soccer podcast hosted by John Krysinsky, Randy Waldrum voiced his concerns about the team's inadequate preparation, highlighting the issues with the NFF and the unexpected cancellation of a crucial training camp. The initial plan included a 10-12 day training camp in Nigeria followed by another 10-15 days in Australia. However, the NFF decided to cancel the camp in Nigeria, leaving the team with limited preparation time.
"We are not prepared the way we need to be. [I've] been very frustrated with the federation (NFF) and the lack of support," Waldrum shared during the podcast.
What is happening between the NFF and Super Falcons coach, Randy Waldrum?
This guy seems ready to leave even before the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/Ekr3pAFxfQ— Adepoju Tobi Samuel 🇳🇬 (@OgaNlaMedia) June 29, 2023
Waldrum has already selected his 23-player squad for the FIFA tournament, which will be held in New Zealand and Australia next month. The Super Falcons coach's public expression of his dissatisfaction with the NFF has led to a war of words between him and the football governing body in Nigeria.
"We have fewer days than a college preseason to prepare for the World Cup, and it blows my mind because we have known about this since last year," he stated in a social media post.
Furthermore, the coach revealed that the players have not been paid since the last Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON). This financial issue led to a training boycott by the players ahead of the match against Zambia. Waldrum also mentioned a dispute involving backup goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi, who spoke out about the unpaid wages. Oluehi was initially dismissed from the national team but was eventually allowed to return after writing an apology letter.
The NFF responded to Waldrum's accusations through its spokesperson, Ademola Olajire. According to the NFF, the coach's request for a camp with home-based players was unnecessary since he had already released the final list for the tournament. The NFF also explained that they suggested the final squad proceed directly to a training camp in Australia, while also grooming a home-based goalkeeper as an understudy.
The NFF have fired back in response to Randy Waldrum’s comments about the Super Falcons lack of preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
What do you think of the entire situation ? 🤔 #FIFAWWC #SuperFalcons #EaglesTracker 🦅🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/5dYSPmDoBk— Home of Nigerian Football (@EaglesTrackerNG) June 29, 2023
In a statement, the NFF described Waldrum's outbursts as an "afterthought" and clarified that the team is still expected to depart for the World Cup in three days and compete.
