The run-up to the match between the Colombian National Team and Bolivia, which will be played this Thursday at 3:00 pm on the ninth day of the qualifiers for the North American 2026 World Cup, has been marked by tensions off the field. Colombia’s technical director, Néstor Lorenzo, revealed a serious incident: a person had spied on his team’s training sessions in Cochabamba.
Lorenzo explained in a press conference that a person was located in a building near the training site and recorded a large part of the session using a mobile phone. “It’s unfortunate that they sent you to spy, I don’t know where it came from or who it was, but we identified it. We have photos and we will report the case where appropriate. One wants to train with the discretion that one deserves and the privacy, what happened was a breach of the privacy of the campus. “Let’s see how we proceed in these hours,” said the coach, visibly upset by the situation.
The incident has generated concern among the national team, which until now remains undefeated in the qualifying rounds.
According to Lorenzo, these types of actions threaten the privacy and preparation of the players. The Colombian Football Federation could present a formal complaint, which would put the Bolivian team at risk of facing sanctions, if its involvement in espionage is confirmed.
This event adds to a series of controversies that have surrounded the confrontation between both teams. Before the match, Bolivian media criticized the alleged “excessive” requests from the Colombian team, such as the request for 200 kilos of ice per day in their concentration hotel, and the limited contact between the players and the staff there.
For his part, the Bolivian coach, Óscar Villegas, minimized Colombia’s efforts to acclimatize in Cochabamba, pointing out that the altitude of that city (2,500 meters above sea level) does not compare with the 4,095 meters of El Alto, where will play the game. In addition, Villegas expressed his discontent over the possible leak of information about his team’s training sessions.
Despite the discomfort generated by these incidents, Lorenzo assured that his team is focused on the game and will not be distracted by provocations. “These are isolated circumstances. We are happy in this city. There are people who want to win at any cost and who do inappropriate things. Our physical trainer had to come to Bolivia twice because he agreed to something here and they changed all the logistics, which shows from the start that they wanted to complicate us. We think about the game and what is going to happen on the field. “We are not going to stop and complain about the things that were done to us,” he concluded.