PARIS, July 31, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Canada's six-point deduction over a spying
scandal at the women's Olympic football has been upheld after an appeal to
the Court of Arbitration for Sport failed on Wednesday.

The Swiss-based body was asked to review the punishment handed down by world
football's governing body FIFA which has left the reigning Olympic champions
in danger of a group-stage exit at the Paris Games.

Canada have won both of their matches so far, against New Zealand and France,
but the penalty means they have zero points with only one group game
remaining.

They must now beat Colombia later on Wednesday if they are to advance to the
quarter-finals as they seek to repeat their gold medal at the Tokyo Games
three years ago.

Canada were docked six points and fined 200,000 Swiss francs ($226,000) by
FIFA as a punishment after a staff member used a drone to spy on a New
Zealand training session ahead of their match, which Canada won 2-1.

Coach Bev Priestman was previously given a one-year ban from all football-
related activity by FIFA for her responsibility in the scandal.

Assistant coach Andy Spence, who like Priestman is from England, was put in
interim charge of the team for Sunday's game against France.

Analyst Joey Lombardi was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and
sent home by the team after being caught flying the unauthorised drone.

Lombardi and assistant coach Jasime Mander were also handed one-year bans by
FIFA.

Priestman issued a letter of apology on Sunday in which she admitted to being
"absolutely heartbroken" and promised to cooperate with an investigation into
the affair.