Colombian National Team Accuses Bolivia of Spying Ahead of World Cup Qualifier

The Colombian national football team is embroiled in a controversy involving allegations of espionage ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Bolivia. Colombian manager Nestor Lorenzo has accused the Bolivian team of spying on their training sessions prior to the crucial match.

Lorenzo expressed his concerns during a pre-match press conference, stating, “It is unfortunate that they send you to spy, and that I don’t know where he came from or who he was, but we identified him. We have photos and we reported the case there.” The incident has reportedly prompted the Colombian Football Federation to lodge a formal complaint, along with the evidence they have gathered against Bolivia.

Contrarily, Bolivian manager Oscar Villegas dismissed the allegations, suggesting that similar incidents have occurred on their side. “Images of our training sessions have also been leaked, despite these being held behind closed doors,” Villegas commented.

This accusation is not the first unusual occurrence before the fixture. Colombian media have also reported that Bolivia was allegedly planning to manipulate the game’s conditions, including overinflating the match balls and creating difficulties for the Colombian team’s entry into Bolivia.

The match itself presents a significant challenge due to its location, as it is set to take place in a stadium at an altitude exceeding 4,000 meters. Such conditions are expected to test the fitness and adaptability of players, including Liverpool winger Luis Díaz, who is among 19 senior Colombian international players on duty this month.