Not much was made about the routine game at the time, but due to the controversy surrounding the Canadian Olympic team this week, questions have been raised about previous sporting events involving the North American country.
This week, a member of the Canadian Olympic women’s soccer team was caught using a drone to spy on New Zealand’s practice session on Monday. It is said to be the second “drone incident” at a New Zealand practice over the past week.
As a result, the Canadian Olympic Committee has announced that soccer coach Bev Priestman will not coach the Olympic team’s opening match tomorrow. Two other staff members have been removed from the team and are being sent home from the games.
A report from the Canadian outlet TSN also stated that this was not an isolated incident, and sources claim that the use of drones in Canada has been going on for a number of years. A training session before a women’s national team game against Panama in July 2022, when Canada was attempting to qualify for the Women’s World Cup in Australia, is also said to have been recorded.
Perth, Australia, July 26: Adriana Leon of Canada celebrates a goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Canada and Ireland at Perth Rectangular Stadium on July 26, 2023, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)Kevin Blue, the CEO of Canadian Soccer, was asked by reporters at 42.ie if something like this had occurred during Ireland's World Cup clash against Canada last summer and did not rule out that it might have happened in Australia and New Zealand last year.
“I don’t know the answer to that definitively,” Blue said to Irish outlet 42.ie.
“This is the reason we are looking at this issue holistically through our independent review.
“To the extent the reporting in that TSN story is accurate, it certainly is a possibility. I am not interpreting everything that’s reported in the press as fact on this issue until we can substantiate it through the formal review process that will take place.
"Certainly, what was reported, if accurate, is an alarming indication of a significant problem. It is our responsibility to pursue what’s reported there along with other information to substantiate specifically what happened.”
The Olympics take place until August 11.
