Paris 2024: Randy Waldrum shuns Super Falcons for Pittsburgh University duties

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

It is no longer news that the coach of Nigeria’s senior women’s national team won’t be available for the Paris 2024 Olympics Qualifiers against Ethiopia on Wednesday.

After the University of Pittsburgh’s 1-0 loss to Clemson Tigers on Monday, the team is expected to face Virginia Tech on Thursday.

Sources indicated that his absence from the Super Falcons game against Ethiopia was owed to Pittsburgh Panthers’ engagement with Virginia Tech at the Ambrose Urbanic Field is the team’s final game of the regular season.

His team [University of Pittsburgh] had on October 19 also lost to the Florida State University football team before Monday’s loss making it consecutive defeats for Waldrum’s side.

He had also given the NFF excuses for not attending the FIFA Women’s World Cup Draw in Auckland, New Zealand but investigations by Prompt News Online revealed that his Pittsburgh Panthers women football team was engaged back home.

According to Prompt News, Waldrum’s non-availability for the Ethiopia versus Nigeria match in Addis Ababa has left the trio of his Nigerian assistants, Justin Madugu, Ann Agumanu-Chiejine, and Auwal Makwalla who have been with him in the past two and a half years to lead the former African champions to battle against Ethiopia.

It is yet to be seen if the coach will be available for the return leg of the second-round match in Abuja.

This is not happening for the first time as Waldrum also boycotted the FIFA Women’s World Cup draw – the only national team coach to be absent from the event in Australia for his College coaching duties.

The recent development can be linked with coach Waldrum’s contractual obligations with the Nigerian side which will end on October 31.