Waldrum's position is similar to Rohr's situation but what will the NFF do with the Super Falcons' coach?

In 2019, the Super Eagles of Nigeria finished third at the Africa Cup of Nations, beating Tunisia in the third-place match.

While third place is not a bad result, it never satisfied Nigerians, with many calling for the sacking of the then Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.

Rohr had been in charge of the team since 2016, but after the 2019 AFCON, many Nigerians felt a change was needed. This left the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with a decision to either sack Rohr or keep him. 

However, the NFF decided to keep the German, which divided opinions. At that time, it would have been easier for the NFF to let Rohr leave as he had just a year left on his contract. 

But Rohr stayed on and signed a new two-year contract in 2020 to the amusement of everyone. When the German signed his new deal, there was this general belief that he would not stay for the entirety due to the conditions, which was what happened as Rohr was sacked in December 2021. 

ALSO READ: Nigerians want immediate removal of coach after Super Falcons lose bronze medal to Zambia

- If I talk, I will get in trouble - Waldrum copies Mourinho after Morocco knocks Nigeria out with 'curious' referee decisions

Wasteful Nigerian Super Falcons GIFT Zambia WAFCON 2022 bronze

However, while Rohr deserved to go, many felt NFF got the timing wrong as it was just a month before the 2021 AFCON. And as expected, the decision backfired as Nigeria crashed out in the round of 16 and failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. 

Eight months after the sacking of Rohr, the NFF finds itself in another similar situation, but this time, it is the Super Falcons coach, Randy Waldrum. 

Like Rohr in 2019, fans are also calling for the sacking of Waldrum after the Super Falcons fourth place finish at the just-concluded Women Africa Cup of Nations. 

The nine-time African champions failed to win a medal for the first time since 2012 after losing to Zambia in the third place match. 

Following the third place match, Nigerians criticised the team for their failure, and in fairness, the fans are right this time. The WAFCON competition has always been a happy hunting ground for Nigeria, having won it nine times before, which explains why the fans are angry. 

And as expected, the coach gets the brunt of the blame. While sometimes it may be unfair to criticise the coach for a team's failure, Waldrum deserves every criticism he is getting right now.

The American tactician was appointed to make the team better, but the team has regressed under him.

To be clear, the result at WAFCON is not an isolated one. The team had been struggling before WAFCON. There were clear signs of lapses at the invitational tournament in Turkey and the Aisha Buhari Cup last September. 

At WAFCON, the Super Falcons lacked an identity and were outplayed the two times they met a well-coached team. In the opening game against South Africa, the nine-time African champions had no answers to the South Africans' slick passing game. 

Although they received praises for their resilience against Morocco, it was clear the North Africans were technically superior. In just two years, Waldrum has made the Super Falcons worse despite having a pool of talented players. 

Waldrum's appointment was never a popular choice right from the start. Before his appointment as Nigeria's coach, the only high-profile job he ever had was the Trinidad and Tobago job. Aside from that, he only managed University teams, which explains why his appointment did not sit well with Nigerians. 

While Nigerian fans do give coaches, especially the foreign ones, a hard time, Waldrum did not feel the wrath of the media until the WAFCON tournament, which he brought upon himself. 

The American coach had called the Nigerian media negative after the team's loss to South Africa, which did not sit well with journalists. 

It was an unnecessary comment from a coach who had not shown he deserved the job initially. Although Waldrum later apologised, it never cleared the doubts over his ability. He had to win the WAFCON to convince the public that he deserved to continue as the team's boss. 

But with the team's failure, there have been calls for the NFF to sack the American. It is similar to Rohr's situation after the 2019 African Cup of Nations, although the German did a far better job with the Super Eagles. 

However, the NFF is yet to act, which suggests the body has decided to keep Waldrum. It will cost the NFF to sack Waldrum as he just signed a new two-year contract this year. Sacking him now means the Nigerian football governing body will have to pay his salary for the two-year contract he signed. And with the NFF struggling financially, Waldrum will likely continue in his job. 

Also, with the FIFA Women's World Cup taking place next year, the NFF may feel there is no need to bring in a new manager. 

However, while NFF's position is understandable, it would be ridiculous if the same thing that happened with Rohr repeats itself. 

It is clear that Waldrum is out of his depth, but if the NFF decides to keep him, it should remain that way until after the World Cup. It will not be wise to sack him just a few months before the Mundial as that could cost the team, just like it cost the Super Eagles. 

If the NFF wants Waldrum gone, the time is now. However, if he stays on, he must be in charge until at least after the World Cup. 

Your call, NFF.