Nigeria’s Super Falcon coach, Randy Waldrum, has questioned the latest FIFA women’s world rankings as it relates to the former African champions.
Randy Waldrum made known his disagreement with Nigeria’s current position following the latest FIFA Women’s World Rankings released on Thursday.
Soccernet.ng reports that the rankings showed Nigeria making a substantial leap, climbing eight places from 40th to 32nd, a result of their performance at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Super Falcons achieved a historic feat by reaching the knockout round of the World Cup for only the third time in their history.
Their journey ended in a nail-biting penalty shootout against eventual finalists England.
Remarkably, Nigeria remained unbeaten in regulation time throughout the tournament, securing notable draws against Canada, Ireland, and England.
Their crowning moment came in a thrilling encounter against co-hosts Australia, where they triumphed 3-2 in a match that will be remembered for years to come.
FIFA, evidently impressed by Nigeria’s performance, maintained their status as the number one team on the African continent.
However, Coach Waldrum, who also holds the position of head coach for Pitt women’s soccer, expressed his dissatisfaction with this ranking.
Randy took to his X platform, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “Must say I am a little surprised at this to say the least…not in a positive way!”
Randy Waldrum, renowned for his steadfast support of his team, made a name for himself on the global stage as the manager of Nigeria during the Women’s World Cup this summer.
Prior to the event, he had engaged in a public dispute with the Nigeria Football Federation, highlighting issues such as delayed payments and subpar training conditions for his team.
Notwithstanding these off-field challenges, Waldrum’s unwavering support created a strong bond of trust within the Super Falcons squad, while his tactical prowess inspired the team to perform at their best in front of millions of fans.
Randy’s eagerness to confront the Nigeria Football Federation for improved working conditions made it clear that he would not shy away from challenging the global football governing body (FIFA) and their global rankings.
