The Honduras national football team have accused Australia of using a drone to spy on their preparations for Wednesday’s crucial World Cup second-leg play-off.
The Honduran football federation’s official Twitter account posted footage of what it claims was an Australian spy drone filming the team’s training at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, ahead of Wednesday’s second-leg game.
The advantage that the Australia team would gain by spying on Honduras was not specified.
The tie on Wednesday is finely-poised after Friday’s 0-0 draw at Estadio Olimpico in San Pedro Sula. A place at next year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia is at stake for the winner of the tie.
Australia are looking to reach their fourth consecutive World Cup and fifth in total, while Honduras are aiming to reach their third competition in a row and fourth in total.
The Australian team was flown back from the first leg in Honduras on a chartered flight that cost the country’s football federation a reported $750,000. The team arrived in Sydney a day ahead of the Hondurans, who flew economy class and had two stopovers in the US.
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Australia reached the intercontinental play-off against Honduras after finishing third in their Asian qualifying group and then negotiating a play-off against Syria, which they won 3-2 on aggregate.
Honduras finished fourth in the North, Central America and Caribbean region, edging out the USA to set up the play-off against the Socceroos.