The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is set to renew the contract of Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum, whose initial agreement expired on October 31, 2023. Waldrum, appointed by the NFF in 2020, guided the Falcons to the semi-finals of the 2022 WAFCON in Morocco and the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Despite an impressive performance by the African champions, they exited the tournament in the round of 16 after a penalty shootout loss to England.
Since the expiration of Waldrum’s contract, his assistant, Justin Madugu, has been temporarily in charge, leading to speculation about a potential separation between the American coach and the federation. Tensions arose earlier when Waldrum indirectly accused the NFF of misappropriating the $960,000 FIFA grant allocated for the Falcons’ World Cup preparation.
NFF President Ibrahim Gusau disclosed that after prolonged negotiations and disagreements, an agreement for a contract extension with Waldrum has been reached. The coach’s insistence on bringing his assistant and seeking improved allowances contributed to the delay in finalizing the deal. Gusau mentioned that the contract extension is expected to be finalized before Thursday, just ahead of the federation’s delegation departure for the AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast.
Gusau clarified that discussions included disputes over the inclusion of a particular woman in the coaching staff, a matter to which the NFF objected based on the individual’s condition. Additionally, Waldrum advocated for an increase in his allowances, a request that was denied by the federation. Gusau emphasized that the Falcons did not surpass their previous highest level of performance (a quarter-final outing) at the World Cup, making negotiations for increased allowances challenging.
In summary, the NFF and Waldrum have navigated through disagreements, eventually reaching an agreement for a contract extension, with the finalization of the deal expected before the AFCON 2023 journey.
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