New Zealand urges FIFA to act over Olympics drone ‘spying’ incident

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Police and FIFA Urged to take action as people worry Olympic Games champion Canada Monitored New ZealandTraining in Advance Paris 2024.

New Zealand soccer boss Andrew Pragnell has accused the Canadian women’s soccer team of using drones to gather information in preparation for Thursday’s tournament opener.

The incident has been reported to FIFA and the New Zealand Olympic Committee has reported it to the police and the IOC Integrity Unit.

“This type of behavior has no place on the football field and urgent action must be taken to address this integrity issue,” Pragnell said in a statement Thursday.

“To now hear that Canada secretly filmed our team’s training sessions on at least two occasions is extremely concerning and could have wider implications for the integrity of the tournament if not urgently addressed.”

Canada head coach Bev Priestman Will not perform her first game duties Her assistant coach and team analyst were kicked out of the game on Wednesday over drone flying allegations.

With FIFA Initiation of disciplinary proceedingsthe Canadian Soccer Association has said it will cooperate in an independent investigation into the matter.

Canada won their first soccer gold medal after reaching the 2021 Tokyo Olympic final, defeating Sweden in a thrilling penalty shootout.

However, despite the champions showing a willingness to resolve the issue, New Zealand will hope for a clearer decision in the coming days.

“We note that the Canadian National Olympic Committee has acknowledged some issues and they have taken sanctions against Team Canada,” Pragnell added.

“However, given the seriousness of the situation, and the potential impact on the sporting integrity of the entire tournament, we have referred this matter to FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee, seeking urgent action.”