Randy Waldrum, former head coach of the Super Falcons, has questioned the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) over $960,000 it allegedly got from FIFA in preparation for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

In a viral video on X, Waldrum said that a FIFA insider informed him that every nation that participated in the competition was given money to prepare their squad.

The NFF is claimed to have received roughly N1.4 billion in Naira in October 2022 to support the team.

The former coach lamented that despite receiving the huge sum of money, the NFF could not even put the team in camp before the World Cup and could not afford business-class tickets for the team.

Waldrum said that corruption is never questioned in Nigeria, unlike in the US, where people will seek to know how public funds are spent.

The coach also said that the NFF could only allow him to work with just seven staff, despite that it was FIFA that paid for the bonuses of the technical staff, adding that he was at the tournament without an analyst and not even a scout.

“I have a real close contact here in the US that is very connected with some of the board at FIFA.

“This person told me that in October, every country was given $960,000 from FIFA to prepare for the World cup, where is that money,” Waldrum said.

” If Nigeria got that money why didn’t we have a camp in November? We went to Japan, we flew in and played the game and went home.

“We wasted the last five days of that window to train.“So, all these questions I have is where is this money?

And the other thing I found out through my FIFA connections is that if countries don’t have the money to buy business class tickets for everybody, FIFA will fund the money and buy those tickets and just deduct it from the monies you get from FIFA after the World Cup.

Super Eagles striker and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has reportedly donated ₦5 million to assist with the medical treatment of popular online food vendor and Twitter personality, Aunty Esther, who is currently battling breast cancer.

Soccernet reported that Osimhen made the donation after he encountered a distressing video of the elderly woman, identified as Esther Omolola Mensah, crying in pain on a hospital bed while revealing the extent of the damage the illness had caused.

The footage, widely circulated on social media, stirred widespread sympathy and urgent calls for support.

Aunty Esther, known for sourcing and delivering market items for her followers, had grown a loyal community online because of her warm personality and trustworthiness.

However, her business ground to a halt in recent months as her health deteriorated.

When her condition worsened, concerned social media users rallied around her, mobilising funds and ensuring she received immediate medical attention.

Doctors later confirmed that she required extensive and costly treatment, prompting her supporters to create a verified fundraising account. Thousands of Nigerians have since contributed to the fund.

The biggest support came on Wednesday when Osimhen transferred ₦5 million to the account. The gesture sparked an emotional response from the beneficiary, who publicly expressed her gratitude.

(Vanguard): When former FIFA President, Joseph S. Blatter, launched the FIFA Goal Project in 1999, the initiative was envisioned as a catalyst for global football development; one that would help countries build modern training grounds, nurture grassroots talents and strengthen the structures of football administration.

For many nations, the project has been nothing short of transformative.

In Nigeria, however, the story is painfully familiar.In 2020, FIFA approved the construction of two mini-stadiums: one in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State and another in Ugborodo, Delta State; each valued at $1.2 million.

While the Kebbi facility, built by Enron Construction, now stands completed, the Ugborodo project has become mired in controversy, delay and finger-pointing. And once again, Nigerians are left asking: How did we get here?

Launched with enthusiasm, the Ugborodo mini-stadium was celebrated as a project that would unite the Itsekiri, Ilaje, and Ijaw communities.

Delta State officials promised full support, applauding FIFA and the NFF for selecting the community.

Yet today, the site, awarded to Monimichelle Sports Construction Company under the leadership of then NFF President Amaju Pinnick, has become a symbol of yet another failed infrastructure dream.

While the Kebbi facility, built by Enron Construction, now stands completed, the Ugborodo project has become mired in controversy, delay and finger-pointing.

The stalled project is not just a physical eyesore, it is a metaphor for the deeper malaise afflicting Nigeria’s sports development ecosystem.

At a time when the nation continues to produce exceptional football talents against all odds, the very infrastructure meant to nurture these talents is either non-existent, ill-maintained or abandoned.

Worse still, the key actors are now trading blame instead of providing answers.

Pinnick and Monimichelle accuse each other of being responsible for the project’s abandonment, while the public remains in the dark about what funds were released, how they were utilised, and why the project has been put on hold.

Nigerians deserve better than recycled excuses. They deserve accountability.

The FIFA Goal Project operates with strict implementation and reporting standards.

If Nigeria cannot properly manage a $1.2 million mini-stadium, what message does that send about our seriousness in sports administration?

Why has no one been held accountable? How much was disbursed? What are the deliverables? Who failed to meet them?The Ugborodo embarrassment should be a turning point.

Every FIFA-funded or assisted project in Nigeria must henceforth undergo independent auditing, transparent, publicly accessible reporting and community-level monitoring to prevent abandonment and diversion.

Sports infrastructure is not a political souvenir to be handed out for patronage. It is a national asset with long-term developmental value.

Treating such projects casually undermines the opportunities for young athletes. It erodes public trust.

Ugborodo should therefore stand as a wake-up call, not another forgotten statistic in Nigeria’s long list of uncompleted projects.

And Nigeria must finally learn to move from fanfare to follow-through, from ceremonial ground-breaking to sustained institution-building.

Our young talents deserve better and more.