By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Nigeria head into the Women’s World Cup with pay disputes still festering but players have set aside their grievances to focus on their opener against Canada on Friday, coach Randy Waldrum said.
The ‘Super Falcons’ have won their last three friendlies against New Zealand, Haiti and Costa Rica but off the pitch they have been at loggerheads with the Nigerian football association over pay and conditions.
In a podcast earlier this month, American Waldrum said he was owed seven months’ wages and some of his players had not been paid in two years.
Nigerian media reported the team were considering boycotting matches at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand but Waldrum said none of his players were opting out of selection for Canada in Melbourne on Friday.
“We’ll be there. All of that transpired before we came and I think the team, once we all arrived here, have just focused on Canada,” the American told Reuters after training on Wednesday.
“We met about it the first night we arrived and at that point we all just agreed not to continue to discuss it, not let it be out there and that we’re here to do a job.
“Let’s focus on that job and let the appropriate people handle it.”
Waldrum declined to provide details on his players’ complaints but was not confident they would be resolved by the end of the July 20-Aug. 20 tournament.
“I really don’t know. Coming from the U.S. and working with the federation, I found very quickly things happen at a very different pace than what you may be used to or what we may be used to in our culture,” he said.
The Nigeria Football Federation did not provide immediate comment.
Texan Waldrum, a former coach of U.S. team Houston Dash, praised his players for keeping their minds on the job as they look to reach the knockout rounds from one of the toughest groups, which includes hosts Australia and debutants Ireland.
“I’ve been pleased about it because this very easily could be weighing and be a burden on the team, but I haven’t seen that they’ve allowed that to happen,” he added.
“They’ve handled everything very professionally.
“I don’t think you’ll get any of the players commenting at all during the tournament about it.”
Pay complaints have overshadowed the leadup to the World Cup, with Olympic champions Canada and Euro 2022 holders England among a raft of teams wanting more from their federations.
Other sides have lamented a lack of resources to adequately prepare, including Jamaica, whose players resorted to crowdfunding to help cover costs.
Waldrum said Nigeria, 11-times Women’s Africa Cup of Nations champions, had the means to make the World Cup’s knockout phase but home fans’ expectations that they should be at the top of women’s football were unrealistic.
“At some point there has got to become a realisation about all the things we do day-to-day with how the federation treats the players and how they provide resources for proper training, travel and all those issues,” he said.
“It doesn’t mean that Nigeria or any of the African nations at this World cup can’t achieve a lot and make a deep run.
“But if you want to be a top team year-in, year-out, you’ve obviously got to be willing to provide more resources.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
