KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: Canada, defending Olympic women’s football champions, have failed in their appeal against a six-point penalty imposed by world governing body FIFA, in the drone scandal.

The decision was taken by a Games emergency tribunal set up for Paris 2024 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Canada had been penalised, with coach Bev Priestman and aides Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander banned for a year. after New Zealand complained that Canadian staff flew drones over their training sessions before their opening match.

A CAS statement said: “The application filed by the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer in relation to the six-point deduction imposed on the Canadian women’s soccer team for the football tournament at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 has been dismissed.

“The Applicants sought a decision from the CAS Ad hoc Division either cancelling or reducing the points deduction imposed by the FIFA Appeal Committee in its decision of 27 July 2024 after it established that breaches of the FIFA regulations applicable to the Olympic football tournament concerning the prohibition on flying drones over training sites had occurred.”

Remarkably, Canada can still qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament from Group A if they beat Colombia later on Wednesday.

On Monday, Sport Canada described the scandal as an embarrassment to all Canadians and said it was withholding wages due to Priestman and the other two suspended officials.

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