June 30, (THEWILL) – Ademola Olajire, the Communications Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has responded to recent criticism by Super Falcons coach, Randy Waldrum, regarding the women’s team’s preparations for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup.
THEWILL recalls that Waldrum had been left frustrated over the lack of support from the Federation in the months leading up to the tournament, highlighting difficulties in organising training camps for players from various parts of the world. He stressed the need for better preparation and expressed disappointment over the cancellation of a planned camp in Nigeria. These challenges aside, Waldrum was determined to select the best squad to represent Nigeria at the World Cup.
Waldrum’s concerns about the NFF’s support were not without history, as he recounted past issues, including delayed wages and interference with the squad list during the African Women’s Cup of Nations. He cited an incident where goalkeeper Tochukwu Oluehi was dismissed from the national team after speaking out about payment delays. Even the coach’s best efforts to reinstate her did not yield results as the NFF demanded the inclusion of another keeper in the final squad list for the World Cup that he had not tested, leading to disputes and the loss of his assistant coach.
However, Ademola Olajire refuted Waldrum’s allegations, dismissing them as baseless and referring to the coach as clueless. Olajire defended the Federation’s decisions, arguing that the team’s final list was already determined, and further camping for home-based players would be unnecessary.
The Super Falcons, despite internal disputes, are set to compete in Group B alongside Australia, the Republic of Ireland, and Canada in the FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand from July 20.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
