PARIS – FIFA has stripped the Canadian women's soccer team of six points from the Olympic tournament over the drone spying scandal uncovered in recent days. In addition, Canadian coach Beverly Priestman and two members of her coaching staff, including the drone pilot, have been suspended from all soccer-related activities for one year.

The scandal broke out days ago when a drone belonging to the Canadian team was caught flying over the training of New Zealand players, their rivals in their Olympic debut four years after winning gold in Tokyo.

A member of the Paris 2024 organisation discovered that the aircraft was flying over the New Zealand training facilities without permission and alerted the police, who arrested the pilot, who turned out to be one of Priestman's deputies, who was sentenced to eight months in prison. prison exempt from compliance.

The coach decided not to sit on the bench last Thursday in the match against New Zealand, which they eventually won 2-1, in which his assistant Andy Spence took the lead, who is not among those suspended by FIFA.

The Canadian federation subsequently announced the immediate dismissal of the coach and ordered an independent investigation into the events, while team members said after beating New Zealand that they were unaware of the spying.

“We are not cheaters,” said defender Vanessa Gilles, who stressed that the revelation of the scandal had affected them in the locker room and that they had to overcome the emotion it had provoked in them.

But FIFA considers that, in addition to those directly responsible for the case, the Canadian Federation did not fulfil its duty to supervise its coaches, which is why its appeals committee imposed this sanction on them.

Canada will now face its next duel against France with -3 points, on its way to qualifying for the quarter-finals of the tournament.

This sanction increases Colombia's chances of qualifying, which, after losing the first duel against the hosts, now has the opportunity to get back on track against New Zealand.