Friday 14 July 2017 11:15, UK
French Guiana have been fined and forced to forfeit their CONCACAF Gold Cup clash with Honduras for playing ineligible Florent Malouda.
French Guiana, boosted by the inclusion of the 37-year-old former Chelsea player, claimed a surprise 0-0 draw with Honduras on Tuesday but their opponents have now been handed a 3-0 victory.
CONCACAF said in a statement on Friday that its disciplinary committee had confirmed Malouda, capped 80 times by France, was in breach of rules over the switching national teams.
Malouda has also been banned for two games, although it is unclear when he will be able to serve that suspension.
French Guiana Football League had been fined an "undisclosed amount" after using Malouda, who now plays in India's Super League for the Delhi Dynamos.
French Guiana coach Jair Karam said after the Honduras game that FIFA rules should not apply because they were not members of the global soccer body.
Karam pointed out that Jocelyn Angloma helped Guadeloupe reach the semi-finals in 2007, despite having previously played for France.
Similar to the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, French Guiana is a member of CONCACAF but not of FIFA - the overseas French department has qualified for the Gold Cup for the first time.
