ABUJA, Nigeria — The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, Ibrahim Gusau, announced on Friday, August 25, 2023, that Randy Waldrum, the head coach of Nigeria’s women’s national football team, will not have his contract renewed, effectively dismissing him from his role.
The decision follows the team’s gallant yet disappointing exit from the World Cup in the round of 16 against England, and a high-profile dispute between Waldrum and the NFF over team preparations and bonuses.
Gusau announced while responding to questions from the house committee on sports, which is investigating the controversy surrounding the team’s unpaid bonuses—a topic that caught global attention after the team’s World Cup exit.
“His contract expired last month, and he’s been informed that it won’t be renewed,” said Gusau. He also confirmed that Waldrum had been paid all of his outstanding wages.
The Financial Quagmire
Gusau took the opportunity to clarify the financial dealings related to the team’s World Cup preparations.
“All the 32 nations that qualified for the World Cup were given $960,000 each for preparation,” he said.
“We organized training camps and participated in tournaments in Mexico and Turkey. This money was specifically for preparation, not for player welfare or to settle any past dues from qualifiers.”
According to Gusau, using the funds for anything other than World Cup preparations would draw scrutiny from FIFA auditors.
“If FIFA auditors see that, they will query us. We cannot use the money for a qualifier played in 2019,” he stressed.
Government Funding and Currency Woes
Regarding funds allocated by the Nigerian government, Gusau said the team received only half of the budgeted amount due to currency exchange rates.
“We presented a budget to the government, and it was approved. However, when it got to the federal ministry of finance, the funds were converted to dollars at the official exchange rate, resulting in us receiving only half of what we had budgeted,” he said.
The decision not to renew Waldrum’s contract has cast uncertainty over the team’s preparations for next month’s Olympic qualifiers and beyond.
As the NFF and the government scramble to resolve financial and administrative issues, the players, fans, and stakeholders ponder what’s next for women’s football in Nigeria.
