Waldrum demands transparency from NFF over alleged $960,000 FIFA preparation grant
Former Super Falcons head coach Randy Waldrum has challenged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to publicly account for nearly $1 million which he claimed FIFA allocated to all World Cup–bound nations in late 2022 for tournament preparations.
In a video that has gained wide traction on social media, the American coach alleged that despite the substantial pre-World Cup support from FIFA, the national women’s team received inadequate preparation ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Waldrum said he learned through a reliable contact in the United States—someone he described as well-connected within FIFA—that the global football body issued $960,000 to each participating country in October 2022.
According to him, the Super Falcons saw little evidence that such funds were used for proper training camps or logistical support.
“Every nation received close to a million dollars to get ready for the World Cup,” he said in the clip.
“I don’t know how that money was used, because we certainly didn’t have the type of preparation that amount should guarantee.”
The former coach also criticised the arrangements for the team’s October 2022 friendly match in Japan, recalling what he described as an exhausting and poorly coordinated trip.
Waldrum explained that several key players arrived barely hours before kickoff after long-haul flights, leaving the squad unable to hold meaningful training sessions.
“We basically spent five days of the international window travelling.
“Some players only joined on the morning of the game. That’s not how you prepare national-team athletes, ” he said.
He further questioned the size and capacity of the team’s technical staff.
While FIFA regulations allow for up to 22 support personnel, Waldrum said the Falcons travelled with about half that number, leaving critical roles such as scouting and advanced analytics unfilled.
“I had no dedicated analys. Other countries had scouts monitoring opponents across different continents.
”I had to rely on whatever footage I could find online, ” he said.
Waldrum maintained that FIFA even makes provisions for business-class travel—funds deducted later from tournament prize money—suggesting there was no financial reason for the organisational lapses he highlighted.
Despite his claims, official records showed that the Super Falcons did participate in a series of preparatory activities in the months leading up to the World Cup.
The team played friendlies against the United States in August 2022, Japan in October the same year, and Mexico in February 2023.
In April 2023, they held a camp in Turkey, securing victories over Haiti and New Zealand.
They later embarked on a training tour in Gold Coast, Australia, ahead of the tournament, completing a warm-up match against Lions FC before moving to Brisbane for their official FIFA camp.
Despite the issues raised by Waldrum, the Super Falcons delivered one of their most resilient World Cup outings in recent editions.
The team progressed from a tough group by drawing with Canada and Ireland and defeating co-hosts Australia in a thrilling 3–2 encounter.
Their campaign ended in the Round of 16 after a narrow penalty shootout loss to England.
The NFF has not yet released an official statement addressing the renewed allegations over the handling of the FIFA grant.
