By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau The recent media commentaries of former Super Falcons coach Randy Waldrum on the team and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) barely one week to the start of the 13th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) holding in Morocco from July 5 to 26, 2025 are nothing but a mere distractions of the highest order. This is even as the unsolicited praise of the players and castigation of the indigenous coaches currently handling the nine-time African champions are very distasteful as they are made in bad faith. For some days now, the social and online media have been awash with screaming headlines like: ‘A day will come where they won’t qualify for the World Cup’ -Ex-Super Falcons boss sends warning to NFF; “They will find a way” Ex-Super Falcons coach backs Mission X aspirations, gives conditions for return”. Specifically, Waldrum, whose contract with Nigeria ended last August after 2024 Paris Olympics’ flop where the Super Falcons under his leadership crashed out miserably without winning a single match or draw any of the three group games in France, has suddenly found his voice and has been granting interviews in the media which are detrimental to the course the Super Falcons are set out to achieve this time around in Morocco where Waldrum also failed woefully in the last WAFCON 2022 campaign. Nigeria was eliminated after Waldrum’s side lost all three matches against Brazil, Spain and Japan with Super Falcons beaten 1-0 by Canarinhas of Brazil and Spain’s La Roja respectively and also slumped to 3-1 loss to Japan in their last Group C match on Wednesday at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes. The University of Pittsburgh women’s soccer team Panthers’ head coach has in a trending online report today (Saturday, June 28, 2025), took a dig on both Nigeria-born coaches of the Super Falcons and the federation too. Said he: “Those players will find a way to get the result because they’re hungry to go retain the title. I think they can do that despite the coaching, I don’t think it’s at the level it needs to be to help you win on the World stage, but I think the player’s talent is enough.” Not done, Waldrum said: “I would say “we” can do it this way; I think the players are good enough on their own, that they can win it. I think there’s enough talent there, based off what was built from the World Cup and the Olympics.” The Texas native who admitted to his desires to be re-hired to coach the Super Falcons also slammed the NFF by putting a caveat that he will only return to his former position “on the right conditions”. “I would love to come back and continue the job, but I would only do it if I could pick my technical staff and have the right people. “I’m a big believer of having Nigerian local coaches and Nigerian staff as well, because we want to continue to educate and grow the game in Nigeria, but I would want to pick those Nigerian coaches as well. “I know two or three that would be really good and qualified and would be a great addition along with the staff I would bring.” “I would certainly continue to do it if they ever wanted me to do it.” Waldrum concluded. However, it is clear that from his utterances, Waldrum, who failed to take Nigeria to podium finish in three important international competitions- WAFCON 2022 in Morocco; 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand and 2024 Paris Olympics in France, during his acrimonious reign as Super Falcons coach is still sulking over his disengagement by NFF after a disastrous tenure. It is laughable that he has suddenly realised that Nigerian players are good enough on their own, that they can win the 10th WAFCON title because he thinks there is enough talent there even as majority of the players the coaching crew led by Justine Madugu, CAF and UEFA certified coach has selected again to represent Nigeria in Morocco. A quick look at Waldrum’s record as Super Falcons head coach showed that Nigeria’s fortunes failed to improve under Waldrum’s watch, no matter the parameter used to gauge his achievements during his four-year period (2020-2024) as his records did not measure up to his predecessors especially the achievements of his his immediate predecessor Thomas Dennerby who won two trophies WAFCON 2018 and WAFU-B titles during his one year and six months on the job. In over 44 months in chargee of Super Falcons, Waldrum failed to graduate any youth player to Super Falcons like his predecessor Dennerby did by promoting no fewer than nine home-based players to the senior women’s football team. They include the reigning African Best Goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie; midfielder Rasheedat Ajibade and Christy Ucheibe; defenders Chidinma Okeke, Glory Ogbonna; forwards Anam Imo, Chinaza Uchendu, Uchenna Kanu and Chinwendu Ihezuo. The Swedish gaffer drafted these players from the women’s U-20 team Falconets after they had also impressed in the national women’s U-17 team in 2018 and 2019 just as he picked some of the players from the local league after watching the NWFL matches in Lafia, capital of Nasarawa; Lokoja, Kogi state; Lagos; Port Harcourt and Yenagoa in Rivers and Bayelsa states respectively. Dennerby who lived permanently in Abuja and also had his own office with desk at NFF Glass House in Wuse, Abuja throughout his stay graciously took a total of six Nigeria-based players namely goalie Nnadozie, Ajibade, Ihezuo, Kanu, Imo, Okeke and Uchendu to the Women’s World Cup in France while he capped Ogbonna at 2018 WAFCON in Ghana. READ ALSO: NGO donates laptops to eight schools in Ondo Enugu masquerade attack: Court remands three suspects Ganduje’s resignation reflects APC’s growth, say Govs WAFCON 2024: Before ex-coach, Waldrum distracts Super Falcons’ Mission X Campaign President Federation Cup: Rivers Angels beat Nasarawa Amazons to win 10th title In fact, on the pedigree of the Nigerian coaches, both Madugu and 1st Assistant coach Ann Agumanu-Chiejine, aside possessing CAF A licenses, are CAF Elite coaches, and European and United States Soccer Federation certified coaches too. Finally, Waldrum should reminded that coach Madugu, who assisted him alongside Ann and goalkeeper trainer Awwal Makwalla, led Super Falcons to trounce Ethiopia and Cape Verde in pre-Olympics and WAFCON 2024 qualifiers double-header ties when he (Waldrum) went AWOL from October 2023 to January 2024. Also, since taking charge late last year, Madugu’s Super Falcons have been raking in victories over Algerian senior women’s team in a double-header international friendlies in Nigeria, lost narrowly 2-1 to France in a high-stake friendly away in November and has bounced back to beat the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon 2-0 in another friendly in Abeokuta and recently played out a bruising barren draw against Portugal’s senior women’s team in Amadora in a pre-tournament international friendly match. Waldrum should, therefore, know how not to poke-nose in another person’s business as the Super Falcons; the coaching crew under the watch of Justine Madugu and NFF management and board led by Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau are focused on the target, which is Mission X, a task that must be accomplished in Morocco on July 26,2025 despite Waldrum’s shenanigans. I Rest My Case Harry Awurumibe is a vocal women’s football advocate