London , England ( CNN ) -- The governing body of world football , FIFA , has turned down the request from the Irish Football Association ( FAI ) to replay their deciding World Cup play-off game against France . The controversial match , that was played on Wednesday , has caused a diplomatic storm after French forward Thierry Henry admitted to illegally using his hand to set-up the goal that gave his team a 2-1 aggregate victory to seal qualification to the tournament . But despite a letter sent to FIFA by the FAI , and calls from both the Irish prime minister Brian Cowen and Irish justice minister Dermot Ahern for the game to be replayed , the sport 's organizing body has refused the request . In a statement on their official Web site FIFA stated : `` The result of the match can not be changed and the match can not be replayed . As is clearly mentioned in the Laws of the Game , during matches , decisions are taken by the referee and these decisions are final . '' Irish football officials lodged an official complaint with FIFA on Thursday and sent a letter to the French Football Federation ( FFF ) in a bid to get the game reconvened . The world 's worst football injustices . `` The governing body of world football have to step up to the plate and accede to our call for a replay , '' FAI chief executive John Delaney told reporters . The FAI pointed to a precedent set in 2005 when a World Cup qualifier between Uzbekistan and Bahrain was replayed after the referee was found to have committed a technical error in the application of the laws of the game . But a FIFA spokesman said the precedent did not apply because the referee in the match `` saw the incident in question and simply failed to apply the proper rules '' . Irish prime minister Cowen raised the issue with French president Nicolas Sarkozy at a European Union ( EU ) summit in Brussels , where the two leaders were meeting to vote for the next president of Europe . Cowen told the Irish Independent newspaper : `` I did n't ask for a replay . I said , you know : 'What do you think ? ' and he said : 'Look , I understand totally the sense of disappointment that you feel about the game . I 'm not trying to mix politics and sport in this respect . We just had a chat . [ But ] it 's not going to be resolved by he and I . '' Mr Sarkozy , however , said he did not want to get involved : `` I said to Brian Cowen , who is a friend of mine as you know , that I was sorry for them and how I was struck by the talent and vigor of the Irish team . `` Now do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game or the football decision -- be they in France or in Europe , '' he said . `` What will be done will be done . But leave me out of it , please . And to be perfectly frank with you that is the sort of answer I want to give , '' he added . Despite Sarkozy 's comments , French finance minister Christine Lagarde said she supported moves for a replay . `` I think it 's very sad . I 'm of course very happy that the French team will play in the World Cup , but I find it very sad that it did qualify with ... you know ... an act of cheating , '' she told RTL radio station . The game between France and Ireland was one of six play offs played on Wednesday which decided the final 32 teams heading South Africa in 2010 . Video replays showed Henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time , before he passed to William Gallas who booked his nation 's place with a headed goal . The draw for next year 's finals is due to be made in Cape Town on December 4 .
FIFA turn down a request from FAI ( FAI ) to replay their deciding the World Cup play-off game against France . FIFA : `` The result of the match can not be changed and the match can not be replayed '' Irish president Roy Keane said : `` I was sorry for [ Ireland ] but do not ask me to stand in for the referee of the game '' NEW : Former Ireland captain Roy Keane accuses FIFA of hyprocrisy in their appeal to FIFA .