Nigeria – Super Falcons Coach Resigns: NFF Faces New Challenge Amid Coaching Crisis

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is again in search of a coach, this time for the Super Falcons, less than two weeks after the failed appointment of Bruno Labbadia as the head coach of the Super Eagles.

This comes after the sudden resignation of Randy Waldrum, head coach of Nigeria’s women’s football team on Friday.

Waldrum, an American coach who recently led the Super Falcons to qualification for the 2024 Olympics in France, cited his wife’s health condition as the primary reason for his departure.

The resignation, announced in the early hours of Friday, took many by surprise, especially since the NFF had extended Waldrum’s contract just months ago.

In his resignation letter, Waldrum, 67, expressed his regret but emphasised the importance of focusing on his family during this difficult period. “It’s been a very difficult few weeks following the Olympics, with my wife’s health issues and the worries that obviously come with that. After much thought and consideration, I am hereby resigning my position as head coach of the Super Falcons,” Waldrum wrote.

While stepping down, the coach was confident about the future of the Super Falcons. “We have built a squad that can compete consistently with any top team in the world,” he added, highlighting the squad’s competitiveness at the recent FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where they faced seven of the top 10 ranked teams.

Waldrum was appointed in 2020 and faced mixed reactions during his tenure. His leadership at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco saw the Super Falcons finish fourth, their worst performance in the tournament’s history. However, the team’s resilience during the 2023 Women’s World Cup restored some faith in his methods.

In light of Waldrum’s resignation, discussions about his successor have already begun. Many former players and sports administrators are calling for a Nigerian coach to take over the team. One former Falcons forward stated, “Our team has dominated the continent for many years, and we can still do that again. Our coaches can do the job as well.”

Chris Okunnuwa, a UK-based Nigerian sports marketing consultant, echoed these sentiments, suggesting that it’s time the NFF trusted their investment in local coaching education. “The NFF has organized CAF courses for women coaches recently, and I believe they need to believe in their products,” he said.

The task ahead is urgent for the NFF, as the Super Falcons will need a new coach to prepare for the 2024 WAFCON, which has been postponed until July 2025. Fans like Henry Oloye worry that the Falcons might face the same uncertainty as the Super Eagles, who remain without a permanent head coach.

“If only we were well organized, this shouldn’t be a problem, but it will become a serious problem,” Oloye remarked.