FIFA penalises Indian football team for fielding ineligible player
Eugeneson Lyngdoh played against Iran in a World Cup qualifier last year, despite picking up two yellow cards in previous matches.
The disciplinary committee of FIFA, the governing body of world football, ruled on Wednesday that the Indian football team was guilty of fielding an ineligible player in their qualifier match for the 2018 World Cup against Iran in September last year.
India were found guilty of letting midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh play, despite the player picking up two yellow cards in his two previous matches. According to FIFA rules, any player guilty of such an offence is suspended from the subsequent match.
The All India Football Federation has been hit with a fine of CHF 6000 (Rs 4.04 lakh) and its has been declared that they forfeited the match to Iran. India had lost that match 3-0 to Iran, but it will now go down as a "no contest", according to Goal.