Ex-Super Falcons Coach Waldrum Demands Answers From NFF Over $960,000 World Cup Grant

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

In a video that quickly went viral on social media, Waldrum accused the NFF of mismanaging the funds and failing to organise an adequate pre-tournament training camp. “I have a close contact in the US very connected with FIFA’s board. This person told me that every country received $960,000 from FIFA in October to prepare for the World Cup. Where is that money?” he asked.

The former coach also criticised the logistics surrounding Nigeria’s October 2022 friendly against Japan, saying the arrangements left players exhausted. “We flew to Japan, played, and returned immediately. Some players arrived only the morning before the game. Five starters arrived after a 16-hour journey the night before. We lost five critical training days,” he said.

Waldrum further raised concerns about the size and capacity of Nigeria’s technical staff. He noted that FIFA allows up to 22 technical personnel per team, yet Nigeria traveled with only about 11. “I don’t have an analyst, and I scout. The US has a scout in Europe monitoring teams. We had none traveling with us. Everything I had was from videos and online research,” he lamented.

He also questioned the travel arrangements, pointing out that FIFA permits business-class travel with the cost later deducted from federations’ prize money, arguing that there was no reason for substandard travel or poorly organised camps.

Despite these criticisms, records show that the Super Falcons engaged in multiple preparatory activities ahead of the World Cup. They played friendlies against the USA in August 2022, Japan in October 2022, and Mexico in February 2023. The team held a training camp in Turkey in April 2023, winning against New Zealand (3–0) and Haiti (2–1), and conducted a training tour on Australia’s Gold Coast in July 2023 before moving to their official FIFA camp in Brisbane.

The Super Falcons went on to impress at the tournament, drawing 0–0 with Canada and Ireland, defeating co-hosts Australia 3–2, and reaching the Round of 16, where they were eliminated on penalties by eventual finalists England after a goalless draw.

The NFF has yet to respond publicly to Waldrum’s renewed allegations, leaving questions about the management of World Cup preparation funds unresolved.

“I was told that in October, every country was given $960,000 from FIFA to prepare for the World Cup. Where is that money?”

Former Super Falcons coach Waldrum questions NFF over use of $960,000 FIFA World Cup Grant. pic.twitter.com/3zBkeoLVzF

— Linda Ikeji Blog (@lindaikeji) November 29, 2025