Dublin - The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirmed Thursday that it is to lodge an official complaint with FIFA over Ireland's World Cup play-off match against France. Ireland lost the play-off 2-1 on aggregate after Wednesday night's game in the Stade de France ended in a 1-1 draw thanks to an extra- time goal from William Gallas.
However, the FAI are furious that Swedish referee Martin Hansson failed to notice that Thierry Henry controlled the ball with his hand before crossing for the Arsenal defender to tap in.
"Conclusive video evidence of a deliberate hand ball by Thierry Henry, which led to Frances additional time goal, has been seen by millions of football fans worldwide," the FAI said in a statement.
"The blatantly incorrect decision by the referee to award the goal has damaged the integrity of the sport and we now call on FIFA, as the world governing body for our sport, to organize for this match to be replayed.
"The hand ball, was recognised by the FIFA commissioner, the referee observer and the match officials, as well as by the player himself.
The FAI pointed to a decision of FIFA's World Cup organizing committee to invalidate the result of a World Cup qualification match between Uzbekistan and Bahrain on the basis of a 'technical error by the referee of the match' as precedent for such a move.
"The Football Association of Ireland is hoping that FIFA and its Disciplinary Committee will, on behalf of football fans worldwide, act in a similar fashion so that the standards of fair play and integrity can be protected," the association said.
Meanwhile, the Guardian newspaper reported that football's ruling body has categorically ruled out the possibility of a replay, referring to Law 5 in the official rules of the game which states that the referee has 'full authority to enforce the Laws of the Game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed,' and that 'the decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play are final.'
