Less than two weeks after the failed attempt to appoint Bruno Labbadia as the Super Eagles’ head coach, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) now faces the challenging task of finding a new coach for the Super Falcons, following Randy Waldrum’s resignation.
The resignation of the American coach became public early Friday, surprising many, especially the NFF, which had extended his contract just a few months earlier.
Waldrum, 67, who recently led Nigeria to qualify for the Women’s Football Tournament at the 2024 Olympics in France, cited his wife’s health condition as the reason for stepping down.
“It’s been an incredibly tough few weeks following the Olympics, with my wife’s health issues and the concerns that naturally come with that. After much reflection and consideration, I am hereby resigning my position as head coach of the Super Falcons. This will give the NFF sufficient time to find the next manager to lead this exceptional team,” Waldrum wrote.
“My goal has always been to leave any project in a better state than I found it, and I believe we’ve achieved that with the Super Falcons. We’ve assembled a squad that can consistently compete with any of the world’s top teams. The future is bright with this current group, as well as the emerging talent from the U20 and U17 teams.”
In his 1,167-word letter, Waldrum also reflected on his recent games with the team at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, and at the Olympics, highlighting these as part of his accomplishments.
“We’ve faced seven of the world’s top 10 teams in the FIFA rankings, winning one, drawing three, and losing three! No other Super Falcons team has achieved such success against the world’s best. This squad has shown it can be among the top in the world, and play fearlessly against any opponent,” the coach added.
Waldrum was appointed by the NFF in 2020 and led the Super Falcons to the 2022 WAFCON in Morocco, where the team finished fourth—marking the worst performance by the 11-time African champions in the history of the tournament.
After that disappointing outing, Waldrum’s leadership was often questioned by Nigerians, until the 2023 Women’s World Cup, where the Falcons impressed against some of the world’s best teams.
Although he won’t get the opportunity to redeem himself at another WAFCON, Nigerians, including former Super Falcons players, are already proposing the type of coach the NFF should appoint next.
One former forward suggested it’s time to trust Nigerian coaches to lead the team again.
“Our team has dominated the continent for many years, and we can achieve that again. Our local coaches are capable, and they just need time. There’s no need for a rushed approach here; let them build the team, and I believe there are better days ahead,” she said.
“I hope the NFF acts quickly to hire a permanent coach who can take the team to the next level. We have conquered Africa; now we need a coach who will make us competitive on the global stage,” sports administrator Ayodeji Adegbenro told our correspondent.
“If I were making the decision, I’d appoint Justin Madugu. He did an excellent job as interim coach and led the team to qualify for the Olympics. Wemimo Matthew is also a highly competent coach,” Adegbenro added.
