The Olympic football event hasn’t even started yet and already we’ve had perhaps the most remarkable story from these Games.
Canada come into Paris 2024 as one of the leading nations in the women’s competition and can very realistically hope for a medal in a few weeks’ time.
But that has been thrown into doubt on the eve of the tournament after two of their coaches were caught trying to spy on their opponents.
Canada face New Zealand on Thursday with the winner going a long way to qualifying from Group A alongside either France or Colombia.
But two members of their coaching staff, Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander, were caught flying a drone over New Zealand’s training on Monday with the Kiwis reporting the incident to the local police.
The Canada Olympic Committee (COC) have since apologised and sent those two members of staff home having been previously detained by law enforcement.
JUST IN:
Assistant coaches Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander are the people involved in this drone spy story. Both are fired and sent home immediately.
Bev Priestman chooses to withdraw for the first match scheduled for Thursday against New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/pm19t2RkvZ
— SHE scores bangers (@SHEscoresbanger) July 24, 2024
And in a further twist to proceedings, head coach Bev Priestmann – who led Canada to gold in Tokyo last time out – has told the COC that she will step down for the game and return for the second match against Les Bleus on Sunday.
There has been no comment yet from the International Olympic Committee as to whether Canada will face any further sanctions.
Source Agencies
