Canada Denies Wrongdoing Amid Olympic Football Spying Scandal

Canada defender Vanessa Gilles has firmly stated that her team is “not cheats” despite a recent scandal involving allegations of spying before their 2-1 victory over New Zealand in the Olympic women’s football tournament.

The controversy led to the dismissal of assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi from the Games in Paris. Lombardi was additionally sentenced to a suspended eight-month prison term for using a drone to spy on a New Zealand training session in Saint-Etienne prior to the match.

In response to the scandal, Gilles expressed the team’s frustration and emotional strain, emphasizing that the incident does not align with the values of fair play and integrity that Canada upholds. “There was a lot of emotion, frustration, and humiliation because as a player, it doesn’t reflect our values and what we want to represent as competitors at the Olympics,” Gilles said.

Canada, who are defending their Olympic title after winning gold in Tokyo, is determined to stay united despite the distraction. Gilles noted the team’s effort to remain focused and not let external pressures affect their performance. “We’ve been able to do that in the past,” she added.

Head coach Bev Priestman was absent from the match due to the scandal but is expected to return for Canada’s next Group A game against France on Sunday.

Canada’s comeback victory was secured with goals from Arsenal’s Cloe Lacasse and Evelyne Viens. New Zealand coach Michael Mayne, while disappointed, did not attribute the loss solely to the spying incident, stating that the team gave their best effort despite the circumstances.

New Zealand will face Colombia next, needing a positive result to strengthen their quarter-final chances.