Canadian women’s team | Cindy Tye named interim head coach

Women’s under-20 Soccer team coach Cindy Tye was named Canada’s interim head coach Thursday ahead of friendlies against Iceland and South Korea.

Canada Soccer recently announced that Bev Priestman would not be returning after being suspended by FIFA due to the drone spying scandal at this summer’s Paris Olympics.

Assistant coach Jasmine Mander and analyst Joey Lombardi were also suspended.

A former player, Tye is the athletic director and head coach of the Dalhousie University women’s soccer team. She will be supported by Neil Wood, Katie Collar, Jen Herst and Maryse Bard-Martel.

Assistant coach Andy Spence took over at the Olympics and in a friendly against Spain that ended in a 1-1 draw last month. However, he was “unavailable for this camp and will be back for the next international window,” Canada Soccer said.

Sixth in the world, the Canadians will do so with Iceland (13^e) on November 29, then December 3 against South Korea (19^e). Both meetings will take place in Murcia, Spain.

For these clashes, Quebec defender Janet Okeke and attacker Nyah Rose were selected by the Canadian national team for the first time.

Okeke, originally from Laval, currently plays with North Carolina State University. The 18-year-old and Rose, 19, have previously represented Canada at the under-20 level.

Quebecers Marie-Yasmine Alidou, Gabrielle Carle, Lysianne Proulx and Évelyne Viens are also part of the training.