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Malouda suspended from Gold Cup

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MIAMI: Florent Malouda has been suspended for French Guiana’s final Gold Cup first round game in the latest twist to the eligibility fiasco surrounding the former France international, Concacaf have confirmed.


A Concacaf disciplinary hearing late on Thursday confirmed that Malouda, who played in French Guiana’s game against Honduras on Tuesday despite being ruled ineligible, had been suspended for two games.


The French Guiana Football League has also been fined an undisclosed amount for selecting the player.


Tuesday’s scoreless draw in Group A has been forfeited and ruled a 3-0 win to Honduras, Concacaf said.


Malouda’s suspension, which takes the form of a full stadium ban, means the 37-year-old can play no part in French Guiana’s game against Costa Rica in Frisco, Texas later on Friday.


The Concacaf decision settles a rumbling saga which was triggered by Guiana’s selection of Malouda for the tournament. As a French territory, and not a full Fifa member, Guiana believed Malouda would be free to play in the Gold Cup despite having already won 80 caps for France between 2004-2012.


Malouda was left in limbo however after Concacaf informed French Guiana that the tournament was using Fifa’s eligibility regulations for the competition, meaning the former Chelsea midfielder could not play.


Malouda did not feature in his team’s opening game — a 4-2 defeat to Canada — but was then selected by manager Jair Karam in an act of defiance on Tuesday. Malouda had also been expected to play on Friday.


Concacaf sources have privately expressed exasperation at the controversy, insisting that French Guiana were made aware of Malouda’s ineligibility for the competition well before the start of the tournament last week. “The French Guiana national team is ruled to forfeit its Gold Cup match played against Honduras on July 11, 2017, and the official result is ruled a 3-0 victory for Honduras,” Concacaf said in a statement. — AFP


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