American Soccer Coach Leading Team Nigeria At Women's World Cup Is Extremely Unexpected

As the Women's World Cup continues this month, Team Nigeria has made quite the presence in New Zealand/Australia. The Super Falcons are battling to make it out of Group B alongside Australia, Canada and the Republic of Ireland.

It's not going to be easy, but Nigeria has a real shot of reaching the knockout rounds.

Their chances are especially high if keeper Chiamaka Nnadozie continues to make ridiculous saves like she did to keep things level during their opening match draw against the Canadians.

Regardless of how they finish, very few teams are going to bring as much joy to the World Cup. The Super Falcons are always having fun.

The Nigeria women's national football team played its first international match in 1991 and currently ranks No. 40 in the world. At the forefront of the program is its skipper, who could not be a more surprising person to lead the east-central African nation.

His name is Randy. Randy Waldrum. He hails from... Irving, Texas — a town with a population of less than 50,000 when he was born in 1956.

Randy Waldrum, Head Coach of Nigeria, is seen prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Nigeria and Canada at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium on July 21, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.(Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Waldrum, an American, played at Midwestern State University. His managerial career began in 1978 with the women's team at Pittsburg State, a small public school in Kansas.

Previous stops include:

Since 2018, Waldrum has served as the women's coach at the University of Pittsburgh. He is one of very few (if any) people to play and/or coach at both Pitt State and Pitt.

Waldrum was then appointed the head coach of Nigeria's women's national team in 2020. The 66-year-old will lead the Super Falcons during their 2023 World Cup run.

Team Nigeria's World Cup gaffer is unexpected.

Although it is not uncommon for an American coach to serve as the manager for non-American countries, Randy Waldrum does not have any ties to Nigeria. He's not from there. His wife is not from there. Nothing.

Waldrum is a great coach with a history of winning. His leadership cannot be understated, and his players seem to thrive under his direction, no matter where he goes.

However, with all of that being said, for Waldrum to coach Nigeria is pretty surprising for those who do not know who he is or his background. If you closed your eyes before reading this article and tried to picture the Nigerian women's soccer team's manager, there is a zero percent chance that you would have imagined ...

Nigeria head coach Randy Waldrum.(Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

... Randy from Texas!