Super Falcons: The NFF’s astonishing blueprint for extracting failure from great success

The Super Falcons are already walking into another storm, and this time it has little to do with tactics or team selection.

The real problem is the empty calendar staring back at the reigning African champions. Weeks have gone by in the current international window, yet the players are back at their clubs, awaiting clarity that never comes. A team aiming for WAFCON 2026 should not be drifting like this.

There were expectations that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) would lock in at least two friendly games during this window, especially with other African teams active. Instead, nothing materialised. The only explanation filtering out is that proposed opponents withdrew late, but that speaks to a deeper issue: proper planning was never in place. Elite teams do not rely on hope; they schedule months ahead and secure alternatives.

What makes the situation worse is the timing. After this window shuts, only one more break exists before the squad assembles for WAFCON 2026, which doubles as qualifiers for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The Super Falcons have asked for stability, professionalism, and competitive games. Instead, uncertainty fills the space. Some of the players have already taken to Instagram, posting thinly veiled frustrations about the silence around their program while their rivals line up fixtures.

Waldrum’s revelations mirror ongoing NFF neglect of the Super Falcons

Former Super Falcons head coach, Randy Waldrum, has repeatedly exposed these cracks in the system.

In a video circulating on X, he claimed that the Nigeria Football Federation received $960,000 (roughly ₦1.4 billion) from FIFA in October 2022 to support the team’s preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

He described how the squad never felt the impact of that money. “We went to Japan, we flew in and played the game and went home,” Waldrum said. “Some of our players didn’t arrive until the morning before the game. I think five players who were going to start for me arrived the night before the game, and the game was four o’clock and they traveled 16 hours on the plane.” There was no proper camp in November, despite the funding being available.

His account reinforces what is happening again. The issue is not financial; it is poor planning, mismanagement, and a repeated failure to prioritise the Super Falcons.

When preparation is this inadequate, performance will inevitably suffer. And when results dip, the blame should not fall on the coach or players, it belongs to the system that refuses to treat the women’s team with the seriousness they have consistently earned.