Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum has defended himself in the face of fierce criticism over the team’s performance in recent outings.
The West Africans endured a poor outing at the Africa Women’s Cup of Nations in Morocco where they finished in fourth position.
The Super Falcons have also lost their last five games.
Waldrum also has the unenviable record of having lost more games in a calendar year than any other Super Falcons coach
“I don’t put a lot of weight by what everybody outside says or the results of some games where we know half of those games we have not had our full team together,” he told ESPN.
Read Also: Olympic Eagles To Camp In Ibadan For U-23 AFCON Qualifier
“We are coaching the players that we have and I am proud of their development and I think the fans will be proud of their performance at the World Cup.”
Waldrum went on to point to Nigeria’s struggles at previous tournaments as evidence that things are not what they used to be: “People talk about the team qualifying with ease for the World Cup in previous years.
“Women’s football was in a different place then. What you are seeing now in the last two World Cup cycles is that the game has grown and developed in Africa like it has in the rest of the world.
“You are seeing countries like South Africa and Morocco putting a lot of resources into women’s football and we have to be careful as a country not to expect to qualify and win the Cup of Nations just because we are Nigeria.
“Even in the last tournament, you advanced to the final and the championship by two games on penalty kicks. It’s not like it was a dominant performance in 2018.”
11 Comments
What is this one saying? Continue making excuses after you lost to zambia and Morocco from that moment I took my mind of your team. People can say what they want but I will choose Morocco Coach or Desire Ellis of South Africa over this man.
This guy is a pure nonsense coach. His records are disgraceful. They should send him back where they brought him from and get a real coach for super Falcons before he damages the winning psychology of the team entirely.
This guy is a scam but I can’t blame him …I blame Amaju for hiring the mediocre university soccer coach who got fired by Trinidad and Tobago. This fool once said the Nigerian media is very negative. I bet you if the US female team loses like 3-4 games in a row that coach will be gone.
Omonja will fire you guys, is one of supporter of this coach.
Even our U-17 team I doubt this coach will get results with them. Mediocre is an understatement for him.
I know after watching the last AWCON that this coach is bereft of ideas. A very weak and clueless coach at that but am so much more appalled by his utterances in the mist of poor performance
He should’ve been sacked directly after the AWCON if we had a better NFF President than an equally clueless NFF President
I will only watch the WC without any expectation
I believe we don’t value our football culture, This foreign couches must stop all this neo colonialism of our football. Let develop our local coaches and have a good league.
Easier said than done
Every time you look forward to something good coming out of Nigeria, you end up with more disappointment. Sometimes you wish you could pretend not to have anything to do with the country. What federation will allow such coach to have continued from AWFCON disgrace? Yes female soccer developed in other African countries, but the one on top should have advanced more not diminish. When will Nigerians learn to demand for immediate exit of mediocre coaches, president, administrators?
Let’s begin by thanking the federation for organising these friendly matches(their job anyway) and appreciate the work put in by the players and the coaches. Women’s football is no longer what it used to be on the African continent when the Falcons dominated endlessly. Today, players in Africa are rubbing shoulders with the best in the world and gaining confidence with every game. Friendly matches are preparatory games meant to correct errors and fortify ahead of a major tournament. The Falcons have to start believing in themselves again and make it count when it matters.
The same reason why Brazil still remains world power in men’s soccer despite other countries development in soccer should be the reason Nigerian team shouldn’t diminish but always be the power house of African soccer. Olodo coach.