Defending champions Canada have beaten the Football Ferns 2-1 in what'll go down as an infamous few days in Olympics history.
The clash came just days after New Zealand's opposition was caught spying on them, a drone heard hovering as they went through their set pieces in one of two reported incidents.
Reporter Jordan Oppert was in St Etienne for the now infamous match between the Football Ferns and defending champions. (Source: 1News)
Speaking to 1News in the mixed zone after the match, captain Katie Bowen expressed her disappointment at the situation, which captured headlines around the world.
"It's just such a shock, and my heart goes out to the Canadian team as well cause we know those girls weren't involved and that's just straight up cheating and embarrassing," said Bowen.
The Canadian Olympic Committee has taken immediate action by dismissing an assistant and an analyst, the latter also handed a suspended jail sentence by French authorities.
Head coach Bev Preistman stepped aside for the match - and since it finished she has been kicked out of the Games by the Canadian Olympic Committee following her suspension by Canada Soccer.
Meanwhile New Zealand Football is seeking "urgent action" from FIFA.
"It's in the hands of the IOC, but it's an interesting precedent to set if they're to get away with this," said Bowen.
New Zealand's stand-in head coach Michael Mayne says the last 48 hours have been "challenging".
"It's been tough on the group.. it's hard to not look at it and what may have been.
"But I think the team's come out and given a good account of themselves against a good team," he said.
Whether Canada deserves the three points, Mayne said he takes nothing away from Canada's performance.
New Zealand opened the scoring through Mackenzie Barry in the 13th minute, before Cloé Lacasse hit back in first-half injury time.
Evelyne Viens scored the winner in the 79th minute.
"I take nothing away from the game, the game's the game and we lost the game.
"The powers at be will look at what's happened and we'll let them do that. My job is to allow us to bounce back against Colombia which is an important game for us," he said.
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