Canada's head coach, and the former head of Football New Zealand, Bev Priestman. Photo: AFP
The Canadian women's football team head coach - and former head of NZ Football - will stand down for the match against the Football Ferns.
It came as a second drone incident was revealed by the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC).
NZOC said Team Canada confirmed a second incident took place on 19 July, three days before the latest drone was caught by the Football Ferns.
Both incidents occurred in St Etienne where the two teams were due to play.
Canada's assistant coach and an analyst have been kicked out of the Olympic squad after New Zealand said its team had their training session disrupted by a drone flown by a staff member of their Group A opponents.
Head coach Bev Priestman also removed herself from coaching the team against New Zealand in their match-up on Thursday, the Canadian Olympic Committee said in a statement.
Priestman joined New Zealand Football in 2009 and rose to the rank of Head of Football before leaving in 2013.
She left New Zealand to continue her career in Canada and took up the head coaching position in 2020.
"Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately," COC said in a statement.
"Jasmine Mander, an assistant coach to whom Mr. Lombardi reports to, is being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and will be sent home immediately."
Priestman apologised for the offence.
"On behalf of our entire team, I first and foremost want to apologise to the players and staff at New Zealand Football and to the players on Team Canada," she said.
"This does not represent the values that our team stands for. I am ultimately responsible for conduct in our programme.
"Accordingly, to emphasize our team's commitment to integrity, I have decided to voluntarily withdraw from coaching the match on Thursday. In the spirit of accountability, I do this with the interests of both teams in mind and to ensure everyone feels that the sportsmanship of this game is upheld."
In a statement issued later and quoted extensively in overseas media, the office of the French prosecutor said a man was arrested, admitted guilt and accepted an eight-month suspended sentence, after being charged with maintaining an unmanned aircraft over a prohibited area.
The drone was flown on Monday and the incident was reported by the NZOC to the police and to the International Olympic Committee's integrity unit.
"The NZOC and New Zealand Football are committed to upholding the integrity and fairness of the Olympic Games and are deeply shocked and disappointed by this incident, which occurred just three days before the sides are due to face each other in their opening game of Paris 2024," NZOC said in a statement.
NZOC said the actions taken by the COC reinforced the seriousness of the integrity breach.
"We continue to seek a full review of the situation.
"With just over 24 hours until the New Zealand athletes kick off in their Opening match of the Olympic Games, we acknowledge the disruption this has caused players and team management, and continue to offer wellbeing and performance support assistance."
-Reuters / RNZ
