'We’re not cheats': Canada after spying scandal

Vanessa Gilles

Canada defender Vanessa Gilles insisted her team were "not cheats" despite a spying scandal before their 2-1 opening win over New Zealand in the Olympic women's football competition on Thursday.

Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi were sent home from the Games in Paris on Wednesday. Lombardi was also given a suspended eight-month prison sentence for flying a drone over a New Zealand training session in Saint-Etienne in the build-up to the match.

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FIFA has since opened disciplinary proceedings against Canada. "Honestly, it wasn't easy. As Canadians, these are not our values or those of our country. We are not cheats. It was very hard but we knew how to be united," Gilles told reporters. "There was a lot of emotion, frustration and humiliation because as a player, it doesn't reflect our values and what we want to represent as competitors at the Olympics. The Games represent fair play."

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