Canada’s women’s football team has appealed the six-point deduction imposed on their Olympic group after a drone was used to spy on a rival team’s training session. However, they have not challenged coach Bev Priestman’s one-year ban.
The Canadian Olympic Committee and Canada Soccer’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to be decided around 11:00 BST on Wednesday.
A CAS statement on Monday indicated that Canada is seeking either a cancellation or reduction of the points deduction.
Canada Soccer stated that the appeal is based on “the disproportionality of the sanction” and argued that the points deduction “unfairly punishes the athletes for actions they had no part in and goes far beyond restoring fairness to the match against New Zealand.”
Following the deduction, Canada is in third place in Group A with zero points. However, a victory over Colombia in their final group match would ensure their qualification for the quarter-finals.
FIFA fined the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) £175,720 and banned the England-born coach—who had already been removed as Olympic head coach—on Saturday.
The use of the drone to surveil New Zealand’s training was deemed a “violation” of FIFA’s principles.
CSA officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander have also been suspended by FIFA for a year.
With assistant coach Andy Spence in charge during Priestman’s absence, Canada won their opening two games in Group A against New Zealand and hosts France.