Olympics 2024: Christine Sinclair addresses Canada drone scandal at Paris

Football legend Christine Sinclair has broken her silence amid the drone spying scandal that has rocked the Canadian women’s football team, casting a shadow over their 2-1 victory against New Zealand in their Olympic opener.

Sinclair, the all-time FIFA leading goal scorer in international play, took to Instagram to express her pride and commitment to representing Canada, while addressing the controversy head-on.

“Having contested over 300 international matches, including four Olympic Games, there was no greater honour than wearing the maple leaf and representing Canada on the world stage.

“As players, we train endlessly our whole lives for those moments. Together, we take pride in letting our play speak for itself. We battle within the touchlines with integrity, and try to meet each result with grace - win, lose, or draw.

“It’s unfortunate that the players of our national team have had to play through condemnable actions by some of their staff as they attempt to defend our gold medal. Actions players have no control over. I want to be clear that having been a national team player for 23 years, we were never shown or discussed drone footage in team or individual meetings I’ve been present for.”

The scandal erupted when allegations surfaced that Canadian staff had used drones to spy on New Zealand’s training sessions before the match. This led to the removal of head coach Bev Priestman from her position and the dismissal of two staff members. What should have been a routine victory for the defending Olympic champions was overshadowed by these serious accusations.

Despite the controversy, Canada secured a win with goals from Cloé Lacasse and Evelyne Viens. Assistant coach Andy Spence stepped in for Priestman, leading the team to victory in front of a sparse crowd at Geoffrey-Guichard Stadium. The Football Ferns led early, courtesy of Mackenzie Barry, was short-lived as Canada’s resilience shone through, eventually clinching a 2-1 win.

The fallout from the scandal is ongoing, with Canada Soccer launching an independent external review and FIFA beginning disciplinary proceedings. One of the implicated staff members, Joseph Lombardi, received an eight-month suspended jail term, highlighting the gravity of the situation.

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer have both issued apologies to New Zealand Football and the affected players.

Sinclair remains optimistic about the team’s future in the tournament: “With one win already under their belts, I cannot wait to see what these players can continue to achieve in this tournament together, and I will continue to support the players along the way.”

Luke Kirkness is the Sports Planning Editor for the NZ Herald. He’s an award-winning journalist who also covered consumer affairs for the Herald and served as an assistant news director.