National Teams

End of an Era? Randy Waldrum’s Super Falcons contract with Nigeria ends today

Published

1 year ago

1:42 pm

End of an Era? Randy Waldrum’s Super Falcons contract with Nigeria ends today

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

The contract of Randy Waldrum as the head coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s national team officially ended on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

In August, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau ordered the Technical Department of the NFF to commence talks with the gaffer to extend his contract ahead of the expiration.

The University of Pittsburgh coach has not turned up for the team’s Olympic Qualifiers doubleheader with Ethiopia.

His assistant, Justin Madugu has taken over as interim coach and handled the team’s 1-1 draw with the Lucy in Addis Ababa.

In charge of the team, Waldrum played 19 friendlies including the Turkish Women’s Cup, Aisha Buhari Cup, and Revelation Cup.

Waldrum was appointed as the coach of the Super Falcons in 2018 and took the team to two international tournaments; the 2022 Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The issue of combining the Super Falcons job with the Pittsburgh University role for Waldrum has been a course of worry for football enthusiasts.

After a fourth-placed finish at WAFCON 2022 in Morocco which qualified the team for the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, the relationship between the American and the Football Federation became sour.

The issue of players’ invitations and payment of his and players’ allowances became the order of the day on the eve of the World Cup with players reportedly threatening to boycott the opening match against Canada.

Irrespective of the issues at hand, the team shrugged it off and put up a fantastic performance at the World Cup.

Three games in the group stage without defeat and making it to the Round of 16 ahead of Olympic champions, Canada and the Republic of Ireland after a stunning 3-2 win over co-host, Australia.

The nine-time African champions under the tutelage of Waldrum lost on penalties to European champions, England in the Round of 16 and bowed out of the tournament with three clean sheets and an unbeaten run in regulation time.

Overall, the Super Falcons played 31 games under Waldrum with 13 wins, four draws, and 14 losses.

The fate of the coach will be determined in the coming days to decide if he will be in charge or if a home-based coach will take over the reins.

The last coaches to handle the team, Thomas Dennerby and Randy Waldrum were foreign-based.

As we wrap up, it is imperative to look back at Super Falcons games under Waldrum.

2021 Turkish Women’s Cup
Nigeria 1-0 CSKA Moscow
(Chinwendu Ihezuo 18′)

Nigeria 1-0 Uzbekistan
(Halimatu Ayinde 51′)

Nigeria 9-0 Equatorial Guinea
(Glory Ogbonna 9, Asisat Oshoala 12′ 13′ 26′ 85′, Uchenna Kanu 36′, Charity Adule 39′, Toni Payne 43′, Gift Monday 70′)

US Summer Series (2021)
Jamaica 1-0 Nigeria
(Deneisha Blackwood 51′)

Portugal 3-3 Nigeria
(Chidinma Okeke O.G 22′, Carole Costa 34′, Telma Encarnacao 49′ | Michelle Alozie 44, Dianna Gomes O.G 52′, Rasheedat Ajibade 90+5′)

USA 2-0 Nigeria
(Christen Press 45+2′, Lynn Williams 90+4′)

Aisha Buhari Cup 2021
Nigeria 2-0 Mali
(Gift Monday 83′ 90+1′)

Nigeria 2-4 South Africa
(Vivian Ikechukwu 47′ 53′ | Sarah Nnodim O.G 5′, Linda Motlhalo 17′ 87′, Gabriel Salgado 44′)

WAFCON Qualifiers
Nigeria 2-0 Ghana

Ghana 1-0 Nigeria

Friendlies (2022)
Canada 2-0 Nigeria
(Jessie Fleming 51′, Vanessa Giles 72′)

Canada 2-2 Nigeria
(Christine Sinclair 49′, Shelija Zadorsky 88′ | Ifeoma Onumonu 5′, Rasheedat Ajibade 53′)

WAFCON 2022
Nigeria 1-2 South Africa
(Rasheedat Ajibade 90+2′ | Jermaine Seoposenwe 61′, Hildah Magaia 63′)

Botswana 0-2 Nigeria
(Ifeoma Onumonu 21, Christy Ucheibe 48′)

Nigeria 4-0 Burundi
(Rasheedat Ajibade 25′, Peace Efih 28′, Uchenna Kanu 29′ 46′)

Cameroon 0-1 Nigeria
(Rasheedat Ajibade 56′)

Morocco 1-1 Nigeria (5-4 on penalties)
(Sanaa Mssoudy 66′ | Uchenna Kanu 62′)