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PUNCH can exclusively report that the cancellation of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers involving Nigeria and Sao and Principe hindered the contract talks between the Nigeria Football Federation and Randy Waldrum.
Waldrum took over the Super Falcons job in 2020 after he signed a three-year deal with the federation and his contract is set to expire next month.
The country’s football governing body had begun contract renewal talks with American, who led the former African champions to a round of 16 finish at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand last month.
Earlier this month, following reports (not PUNCH Sports Extra) that Waldrum had been sacked after the NFF held its Executive Committee meeting in Uyo, an aide to the NFF president, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told PUNCH Sports Extra that the federation officials were happy with the American gaffer’s performance at the World Cup and thus urged its Technical Committee to immediately reach out to Waldrum for the renewal of a new deal, a one-year contract.
Two weeks after the report, there had been no confirmation announcing the renewal of the 67-year-old coach and a source in the Super Falcons camp had revealed to our correspondent that both parties were scheduled to discuss terms earlier this month.
“The Technical Director reached out to Waldrum to say they wanted to keep him on moving forward,” the source said.
“They were going to meet to renegotiate during the São Tomé games but obviously they didn’t get to do so with the games being cancelled. Hopefully, they will reach out to him soon and start the process.”
The nine-time African champions were to host the Sao Tome and Principe ladies in the first leg of the qualifying match at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Lagos September 22, with the return leg scheduled for Tuesday, September, 26.
The Island country however pulled out of the qualifiers citing logistics as the primary reason for their opponents’ withdrawal from the WAFCON qualifiers.
“Sao Tome have officially withdrawn from the game against Nigeria,” he said.
“They said they don’t have a stadium in their country and that has increased their cost of participating in international competitions,” NFF’s Director of Communications, Ademola Olajire, told journalist
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