Canadian women's soccer scandal: Drone spying at Olympics
A scandal erupted before the start of Thursday's match in the women's soccer tournament at the 2024 Olympic Games. The Canadian team attempted to spy on New Zealand using a drone. After the incident was uncovered, it caused an uproar, likely to prompt a reaction from FIFA.
8:14 AM EDT, July 26, 2024
The official opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games will take place in Paris on Friday, July 26. As a result, no competitions are scheduled for that day, with events having been held on both Wednesday and Thursday.
The first matches in the women's soccer tournament were scheduled a day before the mentioned event. A total of six games were played, including the match between Canada and New Zealand, which ended with a score of 2-1 in favor of Canada. However, before the game began, a bizarre situation unfolded.
During the New Zealand team's training session, a drone appeared and observed the activities on the field. The police were notified and discovered that the drone was operated by an unaccredited member of the Canadian delegation, the team's opponent.
This led to the New Zealand Olympic Committee filing a complaint with both the IOC and FIFA. A swift response followed, resulting in assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joseph Lombardi's removal from the Olympic Games.
- I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada. This does not represent the values that our team stands for, - said New Zealand head coach Beverley Priestman.
Regarding FIFA, on Thursday evening, significant information was announced about the incident. The International Soccer Federation has initiated actions.
Its disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Priestman, Mander, and Lombardi. Notably, only Priestman remains with the team in the French capital.
