Former Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum questions Nigerian FA over missing World Cup preparation funds

Former Nigeria women’s national team coach Randy Waldrum has raised concerns over the Nigeria Football Federation’s handling of funds meant for World Cup preparations.

The American coach, who led the Super Falcons to the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, alleged that the NFF received $960,000 from FIFA in October 2022 to prepare for the tournament.

He questioned why the team’s pre-World Cup buildup appeared inadequate despite the funding.

Waldrum said that in the United States, such issues would be rigorously questioned.

He claimed a close FIFA contact confirmed that all qualified nations received the same $960,000 to prepare their squads.

He criticised the NFF for arranging a limited, stressful friendly tournament in Japan rather than proper pre-World Cup camps.

“We went to Japan, we flew in and played the game and went home. Some of our players didn’t arrive until the morning before the game, I think five players who were going to start for me, arrived the night before the game and the game was 4 o’clock and they traveled 16 hours on the plane. And we played Japan and then we went home. We wasted the last five days of that window to train,” recalled Waldrum.

Waldrum further faulted the NFF for underutilising FIFA-approved staffing provisions. While FIFA allows up to 22 technical staff, Nigeria travelled with only 11, leaving him without analysts or scouts.

“FIFA also allows your technical staff up to 22 people. Well, we have only about 11. So if FIFA will pay bonuses for up to 22 people, why don’t we have 22 people? I don’t have an analyst and I scout. Listen, the US has a scout in Europe, watching teams play in these exhibitions, in case they face them at the World Cup,”

“We (Super Falcons) don’t even have scouts going with us to Australia. I don’t even have anybody to scout games. If we get out of our group, I don’t even have anybody to scout games in other groups. Everything I have to do is on videos and what I can pick up online,” Waldrum revealed under the challenging conditions coaches work with the NFF leadership.

The 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations will serve as a qualifier for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil, putting pressure on the NFF to improve its planning and resource allocation.