With just a couple of days to the kick-off of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the turbulence in the camp of Nigeria’s senior football team, the Super Falcons appears to be intensifying, and can in fact be likened to a storm, brewing in a tea cup.
While a storm is naturally expected to be ferocious, in blowing apart all that stands on its way; the storm in a tea cup has varied consequences, but is by no means, not less devastating should it blow-up.
On Sunday, (Monday in Australia) the players and officials of the Super Falcons, along with their support or backroom staff arrived in Brisbane, well ahead of their opening group match on Wednesday, July 21, 2023 against reigning Olympic champions, Canada.
Prior to departing their base in Gold Coast, Coach Randy Waldrum’s team had an eventful ten (10) days of camping there, and it cumilated in the only friendly match, the nine-time African Champions have under their belt, since April. It was an 8-1 routing of the champions of Australia, Queensland Lions FC.
The Falcons early arrival at Brisbane, was in-tune with the tournament’s regulations; and the contingent were lodged by FIFA at the Sofitel, located in Central Brisbane; host city of their second and final Group B matches, against Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
While it seemed as if some quantum of normalcy had returned to the team, following the back and forth verbal punches thrown at each other by Coach Randy Waldrum and the top hierarchy of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), another bubble inadvertently was allowed to burst, and it circulated as fast as a malignant cancer.
With the jibes earlier traded about the mistakes and costly ommissions made in selecting the 23 Super Falcons gladiators, and the abssord declaration by the NFF that the Head Coach they hired for the Falcons is incompetent; one would have thought enough had been said and heard.
But, alas! a few days later, Waldrum sent more jitters to the spines of many Nigerian football fateful; when he insinuated that the NFF has not done enough for the team, to have an ideal preparation for a flagship tournament, like the World Cup; despite receiving the $960,000 grant from FIFA to each of the 32 teams billed to take part in the Mundial, to prepare.
As usual with the NFF of recent years, they responded by a statement, issued through their communication and Media department, and its half-hearted response barely scratched the surface, and failed to contradict the “unwholesome” revelations made by the American.
While the other three African teams, South Africa, Morocco, and Zambia all announced bonuses and other packages to motivate their teams to deliver the goods on the world cup pitches, and make their populace back home proud; the uneasy storm brewing in the Falcons camp, got even messier.
This time it’s not about a muted boycott of their opening match against Canada. The NFF officials in Brisbane we understand, issued a stern warning to the players on Friday, after they got wind of a plot by some of the players, to take their case to FIFPRO – the global umbrella union for professional footballers.
Now, according to credible sources, the players of the Falcons were bluntly told that neither the NFF nor the federal government, will pay a Kobo outside the $30,000 participation fee, FIFA will be paying to each of the 23 players.
The added gloom to the emotionally drained and psychological sapped players and even officials can only therefore, be imagined; especially at this juncture, when there is no Minister of Sports to intervene, calm freiled nerves or even whip the NFF into line.
In just over a week ago (July 7, 2023), the Copper Queens of Zambia defeated one of the world’s powerhouses in women’s football, Germany – finalists at last summers European Championship 3-2 in Furth; and before that they narrowly lost to fellow debutants, the Republic of Ireland 2-3 having taken the lead in the first half.
Going to this World Cup, Zambia, captained by 23-year-old Barbra Banda has again and again showed their credentials. They reached the semi-finals of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco last year, got eliminated by eventual champions South Africa, but they regrouped quickly to pip Nigeria 1-0 in the bronze medal match, having already had the glory of being the continent’s sole representative, at the delayed 2020 Olympics in Japan.
No doubt the Copper Queens have had an ideal and confidence boosting build-up to the world cup, to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
Although, African Champions Banyana Banyana of South Africa had an uncharacteristic players versus federation row, over world cup bonuses; the government through the South African FA and top football administrators intervened, and eventually resolved the impasse, by granting to a reasonable extent, the demands of the players, who also had their contracts renewed.
But having had their preparation hampered a bit while they were protesting; Coach Desiree Ellis’ team, who are ranked 48 by FIFA, and had previously played Australia, Brazil [x2], Uzbekistan, Slovenia, and Serbia; concluded their preparation for the upcoming World Cup in spectacular fashion, by comfortably beating Costa Rica (ranked 36 by FIFA) 2-0 in an international friendly played at Nga Puna Wai Sports Hub, in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The Atlas Lionesses of Morocco played two high-profile friendly matches in April. However, the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations beaten finalists lost both games, 0-2 to the Czech Republic and 0-1 to Romania; and they will finalize their build-up, when taking on top European side, Switzerland who are ranked 20th by FIFA.
Comparatively, Nigeria’s Super Falcons also had two friendly matches; but they were against lowly Haiti (55th in the world) and 26th ranked New Zealand. Both games were played in April, at the Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey.
Although Randy Waldrum appeared to have banished whatever ‘evil spirit’ that was trying very hard to haunt down the Falcons, an ever present since the women’s world cup, debuted at the United States, in 1991; by saying he has implicit confidence on the abilities of his players and the Falcons as a team to make Nigeria proud, at Nigeria’s ninth appearance in the world cup; it will be safer for anyone else other than the NFF, the players and Waldrum himself to tread cautiously.
After all, a lot of foul-water has passed under the bridge, and how all of these would play-out, should be interesting to watch, as the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup takes centre stage from July 20th – August 20th, 2023.
