Canada Women’s Football Team are defending gold medalists at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but their chances of progressing beyond the group stage looks bleak. Canada were accused of spying on the New Zealand women’s team’s training session ahead of the opening match of the Paris 2024 Olympics. FIFA investigated the matter and established that Drone were used to spy on the Black Cap’s training.
As a result, FIFA and the IOC docked Canada six points, imposed a $226,000 fine, and a one-year suspension for head coach Bev Priestman.
FIFA, in a statement announced, “The CSA [Canadian Soccer Association] was found responsible for failing to respect the applicable Fifa regulations in connection with its failure to ensure the compliance of its participating officials of the OFT [Olympic football tournament] with the prohibition on flying drones over any training sites. 
“The officials were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play in connection with the CSA’s women’s representative team’s drones usage in the scope of the OFT.”
Caught red-handed, Canadian coach Bev Priestman publicly accepted responsibility for the mistake. This led to her suspension from the Paris 2024 Olympics along with two other staff members.
Canada Soccer and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) are exploring possibilities to appeal with CAS.
Uphill Task for Canadian Women’s Team at Paris 2024
The Canadian team came from behind in the tournament opener against New Zealand and won the game. Now, a six point deduction means the Red Mapples will effectively restart with -3 points with two match to go.
Even if they win all their matches, Canada will finish the group stage with only 3 points, which will require all permutations and combinations to work out in their favor.
Stade Geoffroy-Guichard will host Canada and France this Sunday. Amidst this saga, Canada is very vulnerable, but it can also serve as a huge motivation to prove everyone wrong.
However, it won’t be easy against a team like France. The Canadian women’s team arrived under a lot of pressure following their group exit at the Women’s World Cup 2023, which resulted in several key players retiring.
