Mansur Abdullahi: Waldrum worst thing that has happened to Super Falcons

A former Super Falcons assistant coach, Mansur Abdullahi, has said appointing Randy Waldrum was one of the worst things that happened to the Super Falcons under the immediate past NFF president, Amaju Pinnick. In this interview with Trust Sports, the former Warri Wolves coach and promoter of female football spoke on the lingering crisis between the NFF and Waldrum and the Super Falcons chances at the 2023 World Cup which kicks off on July 20 in Australia/New Zealand.

What is your take on the ongoing face-off between the NFF and Coach Randy Waldrun?

My dear brother in October 2020, you interviewed me and I told you that appointing this man was a waste of scarce resources and today I have been vindicated. Randy Waldrum was first appointed by the NFF in 2017 but he turned us down. It was therefore surprising that the same man was appointed again in 2020. Unfortunately, a coach appointed to handle the Super Falcons, the number one women’s team in Africa, was allowed to continue to coach a college team in America. That was the beginning of the problem. Now talking about how the faceoff with Waldrum is going to affect the Super Falcons, I can say the team is presently in a psychological trauma. The Falcons have never faced such a chaotic situation before a World Cup. This portends great danger for the team.

What do you suggest should be done immediately to bring the Super Eagles back on track for the World Cup?

What the Super Falcons need without much ado is not only a good coach but a sound psychologist to work on them. They need to be counseled to immediately put behind what is happening and focus on the task before them. If they are allowed to take this baggage to the World Cup, it will ultimately end in another disaster.

How cordial is the relationship between Waldrum and the Nigerian coaches association?

To answer your question, let me say I was shocked when I saw Edwin Okon, who is the scouting coach of the Super Falcons and Technical Adviser of Rivers Angels and I asked him why he was not going to the world Cup and he said he was dropped. This is a World Cup and you feel a highly competent and experienced coach like Okon is not qualified to be there simply because he is a Nigerian coach. Waldrum has no single respect for Nigerian football coaches. In fact, the association is demanding an apology from him for saying we are not intelligent enough. He can’t tell us we are unintelligent. With all due respect, Nigerian coaches have achieved more than him. Waldrum can’t win this World Cup. If he wants to prove that he is better than us, he should win the World Cup. The late Coach Ismaila Mabo, took the Super Falcons to a historic quarter-final in 1999 and that record is still standing. Waldrum should take the team to at least the semis in Australia/ New Zealand for us to know that he is a better coach. Last year in Morocco, the Super Eagles finished in fourth position for the first time under this same coach. It was a warning that this man is a disaster waiting.

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Would you say his recent outburst against the NFF is a ploy to cover his technical deficiencies?

This may not be far from the truth. Why is he coming up with all these allegations when it is less than two weeks to the World Cup? In my candid opinion, he has violated the terms of his contract with the NFF. If there are issues, he should have discussed privately with his employers. Unless he can prove that he had tabled his concerns formally to NFF, punitive measures should be meted out to him.

Some Nigerians are already calling for his sack. Is it too late to sack him?

It is not too late to sack him but again some of us don’t know the details of his contract with the NFF. You can’t just sack a man who has a valid contract with you. I learnt he was issued a query but I don’t know if he has answered. I think the NFF is trying to follow due process. Moreover, one is not sure if the NFF has enough resources to pay him off at this time.

In case the NFF fires Waldrum now, don’t you think there will be a coaching crisis for the Super Falcons at the World Cup?

My brother, any trained Nigerian coach, can lead the team. For instance, Coach Justin Madugu has been with the Super Falcons for long. He is versatile and has been to so many World Cups. He is ably qualified to take the team to the tournament. Who can say he does not have the experience to manage the girls? A Super Falcons legend, Ann Chijene, has been with the team for years. She too can handle the team with utmost dedication and commitment. NFF shouldn’t be afraid to sack Waldrum.

NFF has been hyper critical of Waldrum. Are they also not guilty of hiring an ‘incompetent’ coach?

To be fair to the present board, Waldrum was appointed by the past leadership of the NFF. It was Amaju Pinnick, who is now a member of the FIFA Executive Committee who consciously went for the American coach. I doubt if he had the interest of the team at heart. Waldrum is the worst thing that has happened to the Super Falcons.

How satisfied are you with the final list of Super Falcons for the 2023 World Cup?

Honestly, so many things are wrong with the list of players selected by the coach. It only shows his lack of knowledge of Nigerian women football. Not long ago, the NWFL Super 6 was played in Asaba, yet no single player at that competition is in the Super Falcons squad to the World Cup. Does it mean no player was good enough to make the World Cup team? But in past editions, some local players got selected to be part of the World Cup. I am not professing doom, but I am not comfortable and even without the ongoing crisis, I don’t think they can do well at the World Cup. It will take a big miracle for the team to match or surpass the record of 1999.

From a technical point of view, what is your biggest worry about the team?

My greatest worry is the defence. I don’t think it will be able to complement the attack where we have talented and world class players like Asisat Oshoala, Rasheedat Ajibade and Gift Monday. The attack looks strong but the defence may prove to be the team’s major undoing.

After Waldrum, should the NFF go for another foreign coach?

I will advise the NFF to look inwards. As far as I am concerned, we have competent coaches in Nigeria. One of my lecturers once said Africa’s problems can only be solved by Africans. So, I say only Nigerians can solve Nigeria’s problems. We don’t need a foreign coach for the Super Falcons or Super Eagles. What local coaches need is the enabling environment and a free hand to work. Therefore, I reiterate that we don’t need a foreign coach for any of our national teams.