’If FIFA could not order a replay for (Diego) Maradona’s ’Hand of God’ goal, then they can do absolutely nothing when Thierry Henry handled the ball twice in the match between France and the Republic of Ireland,’ says Osmond Downer, former president of the Trinidad an Tobago Football Referees Association.

’FIFA can do absolutely nothing. The only thing that can happen is if due to conscience France say they would agree to play a replay against the Republic of Ireland. Then FIFA can act.’

Downer was commenting on a controversy which saw France win their 2010 South Africa World Cup playoff series against the Republic of Ireland 2-1 on aggregate. Henry handled the ball before setting up William Gallas’s goal in extra-time.

Trailing 1-0 from the home leg, Giovanni Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland levelled the aggregate scores in France thanks to Robbie Keane’s 32nd-minute strike. The game went into extra-time and was ultimately decided when Gallas bundled home Henry’s 103rd-minute cross. The Irish players, led by goalkeeper Shay Given, immediately protested to Swedish referee Martin Hansson that Henry had handled the ball before picking out his teammate. Television replays confirmed that he had done so twice. But neither the official nor his assistant had spotted the offence, and the goal stood.

To a man, the Ireland players who spoke to the media after the final whistle branded Henry a cheat, and the Frenchman later admitted he had handled the ball. However, despite popular support for a replay, FIFA insisted they could not accede to the request.

’The referee’s opinion in this matter is a point of fact because as far as he is concerned it was a good goal because he did not see Henry handle the ball. So in this case the referee’s decision is final,’ Downer declared. ’But, if the referee had erred on a point of law, for instance allowing a striker to score directly from an indirect free-kick, and one team protested, then something could be done because he would have erred on a point of law.’

Downer explained that Republic of Ireland were wrong to argue that a precedent had been set in 2005 when a replay was ordered in a World Cup qualifier between Bahrain and Uzbekistan. Bahrain eventually got the better of Uzbekistan but were subsequently beaten by Trinidad and Tobago-2-1 on aggregate -for a Germany 2006 World Cup berth.

Downer said in that case the referee had erred on a point of law. With the score at 1-0 in favour of Uzbekistan, in the 39th minute of the match, the referee awarded a penalty kick to Uzbekistan. The penalty kick was scored, but before it was taken an Uzbek player entered the penalty area. Consequently, the referee awarded an indirect free kick to the Bahrain team. However, in such a situation, the Laws of the Game require the referee to order the penalty kick to be retaken. After Uzbekistan protested, FIFA declared the result void because of the referee’s error and ordered a replay.