CONCACAF upholds 2022 complaint against Canada for alleged drone espionage

A complaint has been filed against Canada at the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, alleging that the Canadian women’s team used a drone to watch a rival country’s practice.

CONCACAF confirmed the complaint was made against Canada by a rival federation, but said nothing came of it.

The federation in question, believed to be Panama, made the allegation after seeing a drone that did not belong to them in training.

“They assumed it was Canada,” said a CONCACAF spokesman.

Canada Soccer denied any involvement when contacted by CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America as well as the Caribbean.

Given the lack of evidence, the complaint did not reach CONCACAF’s disciplinary committee.

The Canadian women defeated Panama 1-0 in group play – on July 8, 2022 – and eventually finished as runners-up to the USA in the eight-team tournament, which served as a World Cup qualifier.

Canada, who lost 1-0 in the final in Monterrey, won the tournament’s Fair Play Award.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 26, 2024.

Neil Davidson, Canadian Press