Canada Women’s National Team is currently in hot waters. Just hours before cutting the ribbon to the Paris Olympics 2024, news came that they used drones to spy on their Group A rivals New Zealand ahead of the kick-off. This has created havoc in the soccer world and certainly didn’t settle with the Kiwis, who have taken matters to FIFA by suggesting a major punishment for Bev Priestman’s side.

According to the reports compiled by Devin Heroux on X, Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker revealed that New Zealand football has registered a complaint against them to FIFA. Furthermore, the NZWNT has also urged the apex ruling authority that Canada should not be awarded any points if they win the match in the opening group stage fixture against them.

Though there were reports earlier that Canada may get disqualified with immediate effect, that won’t be the case after all. This is because Shoemaker revealed that he hasn’t been made aware of any calls by FIFA or by the Olympic committee for the Cannucks to be disqualified. Yet, New Zealand is eager to get to justice for Canada’s antics of recording Jitka Klimkova and Co.’s training sessions.

Notably, the incident came to light after the New Zealand National Team reported to French police about a drone flying near their training ground. The authorities managed to track the drone pilot who, as per the reports, turned out to be a “non-accredited member of the Canada Soccer support team.” The culprit was detained in Saint-Étienne, which follows a similar incident that took place on Friday.

Though the COC investigated the matter and identified the individuals responsible for wrongdoing, head coach Bev Priestman decided to make a shocking call.

Bev Priestman takes accountability over drone spying scandal before the Paris Olympics clash

Bev Priestman decided not to be present on the sidelines for Thursday’s match against New Zealand. “I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our program,” she stated. The British coach explained that it was a decision made to “emphasize our team’s commitment to integrity” and with the best interests of both sides in mind. However, the focus of the news is on Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander.

French police have charged Lombardi, Canada’s long-term technical coach, for “flying an unmanned aircraft over a prohibited area,” with the 43-year-old admitting to the offense, resulting in an 8-month jail sentence. Meanwhile, CanWNT had already sent Lombardi home, along with Jasmine Mander, another assistant coach on Priestman’s staff. The next steps remain uncertain.