The football governing body for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) has punished French Guiana for using Florent Malouda during Tuesday's Gold Cup clash with Honduras.
Malouda, who has 80 France caps and was confirmed ineligible to play for French Guiana by CONCACAF's Disciplinary Committee prior to the tournament, started the 0-0 draw in Houston despite looming threats of punishment.
That result is now a 3-0 victory for Honduras, which therefore vaults Costa Rica in the Group A standings to go joint-top with Canada before the two sides lock horns Friday night.
| Pos. | Team | Pts. | GD+/- | Goals for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canada | 4 | +2 | 5 |
| 2 | Costa Rica | 4 | +1 | 2 |
| 3 | Honduras | 3 | +2 | 3 |
| 4 | French Guiana | 1 | -2 | 2 |
CONCACAF announced the decision Friday with a statement on its website, adding that the postage stamp-sized Caribbean nation incurred three penalties:
- Tuesday's match has been forfeited, with a 3-0 win awarded to Honduras
- The French Guiana Football League has been fined an unspecified amount
- Malouda has been suspended for two matches and will serve a stadium ban during that spell
Because French Guiana is a non-FIFA association, Malouda was named to the preliminary squad for the 2017 Gold Cup after making his debut against Barbados in mid-June. That decision has proved costly, with French Guiana's chances of qualifying for the group stage all but nil, while both Costa Rica's and Canada's hopes also suffer because of the impropriety.
