Ex-Super Falcons Coach Randy Waldrum Demands Accountability From NFF Over $960,000 FIFA Grant

Former Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum, has challenged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to publicly account for the $960,000 he claims FIFA disbursed to all World Cup–bound nations in October 2022 for preparations ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.

Waldrum made the allegations in a viral video circulating on social media, where he accused the NFF of failing to provide a proper pre-tournament training programme for the nine-time African champions—despite reportedly receiving the funds.

“Every country was given $960,000 from FIFA to prepare for the World Cup. Where is that money?”
— Randy Waldrum

Concerns Over Logistics, Travel, and Staffing

Waldrum criticised the preparations leading up to the World Cup, especially the team’s October 2022 friendly in Japan, which he described as poorly organised and physically draining.

According to him, the team flew into Japan, played the match immediately, and returned without any meaningful training window.

• Some players reportedly arrived on the morning of the match
• Five key starters arrived the night before, after 16 hours of travel
• Valuable training days were “wasted,” he said

The American coach also raised concerns about the understaffed technical team, noting that FIFA permits up to 22 staff members, yet Nigeria travelled with only 11.

“I don’t have an analyst, and I scout. The US has a scout in Europe watching teams. We don’t even have scouts going with us to Australia,”
— Waldrum

He added that FIFA supports business-class travel for teams, with costs later deducted from prize money, arguing that there was no justification for poor travel logistics or inadequate camping arrangements.

Documented Preparations Before the World Cup

Available records indicate that the Super Falcons undertook several preparations ahead of the tournament, including:

• Friendlies against the USA (August 2022), Japan (October 2022), and at the 2023 Revelation Cup in Mexico (February 2023)
• A training camp in Turkey (April 2023), where they beat New Zealand 3–0 and Haiti 2–1
• A training tour in Gold Coast, Australia (July 4–11), including a friendly match against Lions FC
• Relocation to the official FIFA team base camp in Brisbane shortly before kickoff

These activities suggest that some level of preparation was undertaken, though Waldrum maintains that key elements—including staffing and logistical standards—were far below FIFA-funded expectations.

Falcons’ Strong World Cup Performance Despite Challenges

Despite the organisational issues raised by Waldrum, the Super Falcons impressed at the 2023 tournament:

• Held Olympic champions Canada to a 0–0 draw
• Defeated co-hosts Australia 3–2 in a dramatic group-stage encounter
• Drew 0–0 with Ireland
• Reached the Round of 16, losing 4–2 on penalties to England after another goalless contest

Their performance was widely celebrated as one of Nigeria’s best in recent years.

NFF Yet to Respond

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Football Federation has not released an official statement addressing Waldrum’s fresh allegations regarding the FIFA preparation grant.