CANADA head coach Bev Priestman will not take charge of their opening Olympic match against New Zealand and two members of her staff have been sent home from the Games amid claims a drone was used to spy on their opponents training.

Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and Joseph Lombardi, an unaccredited analyst with Canada Soccer, have been sent home after a drone was alleged to have recorded New Zealand training sessions on two separate occasions.

Canada, the gold medallists from Tokyo, are due to play New Zealand in their opening Group A game in St Etienne tomorrow.