The New Zealand women’s football team, the Football Ferns, reportedly fell victim to spying via a drone during a training session ahead of their first match at the Paris Olympics.
The incident, which occurred on Monday in Saint-Etienne, saw the drone operator identified as a support staff member from the Canadian women’s football team detained by local authorities.
New Zealand is set to compete against Canada in their opening game on Friday morning. The NZ Olympic Committee has officially reported the incident to the International Olympic Committee‘s (IOC) integrity unit and has requested a thorough review from the Canadian team.
Following an inquiry, a media release was issued late Tuesday night, noting Canada’s apology and ongoing investigation into the incident.
The Football Ferns are part of Group A at the Olympics, alongside Canada, France, and Colombia. New Zealand, ranked 28th in the FIFA women’s standings, faces a challenging group, with France and Canada ranked second and eighth, respectively.
The team is currently coached by Michael Mayne, who took over from Jitka Klimkova. Klimkova stepped down for the Olympics after initially returning to the role after an employment-related investigation.
In related news, the French newspaper Le Monde reported that Prime Minister Gabriel Attal mentioned French security forces are intercepting an average of six drones per day near Olympic sites.
Attal emphasized the importance of adhering to drone regulations, citing recent incidents, including one involving the communications chief of the Brazilian delegation.