Bev Priestman, the embattled coach of Canada's national team, has apologized to her players and promised to cooperate with the investigation into the drone scandal at the Paris Olympics.

FIFA has deducted six points from the team and Priestman has been suspended for a year after two of her assistants were caught using drones to spy on New Zealand's training ahead of their debut in the women's Olympic football tournament on Wednesday.

“I am absolutely heartbroken for the players and I want to apologise from the bottom of my heart for the impact this has had on them all,” Priestman said in a statement. “As the team manager on the pitch, I take responsibility for this, and “My intention is to cooperate fully with the investigation.”

Canada, meanwhile, kept its chances of advancing alive despite the suspension after beating France 2-1 on Sunday, thanks to Vanessa Gille's goal in the 12th minute of added time in Saint-Étienne. But the reigning Olympic champions remain without a point and must beat Colombia in their final Group A match to advance.

The Canadians celebrated wildly after the victory, obviously a relief after a hectic week at the Games.

Another complaint was also filed against the women's team for recording an opponent's training session during the 2022 CONCACAF Women's Championship, which was a qualifier for last summer's Women's World Cup.

This all comes after the alleged spying scandal involving unmanned drones at the Games.

In addition to suspending Priestman, who had already been sent home from France, FIFA imposed a hefty fine of $226,000 on the Canadian federation.

Canada had considered appealing, but the incident raised questions about the practices of its men's and women's soccer teams and the potential scope of the problem. Canadian authorities said they suspected a “systemic ethical deficiency.”

Kevin Blue, CEO and general secretary of the Canadian federation, said this week he was aware of a possible drone incident involving the men's national team at the recent Copa América in the United States.

He said his understanding was that it had no impact on the competitive integrity of the tournament, but he could not provide details.

When asked if Jesse Marsch, the men's coach, was aware of the possible use of a drone at the tournament that ended mid-month, Blue said Marsch was aware of it and “reported it as a practice of his coaching staff.” Canada reached the semifinals of the Cup, losing 2-0 to Argentina.

A CONCACAF employee confirmed a complaint during the 2022 Women's Championship, but offered few details. The United States beat Canada in the tournament final in Mexico, and both countries earned berths in the Women's World Cup and the Olympics.

The Canadian Sports Network reported other surveillance incidents, including during the Tokyo Olympics, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the filming.

FIFA declined to comment when asked by the AP whether the case would lead to a broader investigation into soccer spying using unmanned drones.