Canada’s women’s football team has been penalized with a six-point deduction from their Olympic group and coach Bev Priestman has received a one-year ban after using a drone to spy on a rival team's training sessions.

FIFA announced the sanctions, which also include a £175,720 fine for the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), a day after English-born Priestman was dismissed as Canada’s Olympic head coach.

Additionally, CSA officials Joseph Lombardi and Jasmine Mander have been suspended by FIFA for a year.

FIFA stated that the Canadian team’s use of the drone was a “violation” of its principles.

“The officials were each found responsible for offensive behaviour and violation of the principles of fair play in connection with the CSA’s Women’s representative team’s drones usage in the scope of the Olympic football tournament,” said a Fifa statement.

Priestman “voluntarily” withdrew from her coaching duties for Canada’s opening game against the Kiwis after the New Zealand Olympic Committee reported a drone was flown over their training session on Monday.

Fifa and the CSA launched investigations and the latter said the 38-year-old was “highly likely” to have been aware of the incident.

The CSA can appeal against the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport and in a statement reacting to the sanctions, its chief executive Kevin Blue and Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker both said an appeal was under consideration.

“We are exploring options to appeal on the basis that it is excessively punitive towards our Women’s National Team players – who were not involved in any unethical behaviour,” Blue said.

“Canada Soccer took swift action to suspend the implicated staff members and is also proceeding with a broad independent review that may lead to further disciplinary action.”

Shoemaker added: “We feel terrible for the athletes on the Canadian Women’s Olympic Soccer Team who as far as we understand played no role in this matter.”​​​​​​​

In a statement on Wednesday, Priestman accepted responsibility for her colleagues' actions after a scouting report filed by Lombardi was sent to Mander.

On Thursday, a French court handed Lombardi an eight-month suspended jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to flying a drone in an urban area without a license.

The following day, Shoemaker remarked that there “appears to be information that could tarnish” Canada’s women’s football triumph at the Tokyo Games.

This followed Canadian media reports that drones had been used in previous tournaments.

Assistant coach Andy Spence will now lead the team for the remainder of the Games. The defending Olympic champions' next match is against France on Sunday.

Canada had earned three points from their opening game against New Zealand, but FIFA’s sanction now leaves them at minus three in Group A, with upcoming matches against the host nation and Colombia.