IN 2000 a very temperamental player, West Ham’s dribbling wizard Paolo Di Canio, stopped play from scoring when he saw that Everton’s  goalkeeper was lying helpless in the penalty area after injuring himself  trying to clear the ball.

I also gather that in Romania this year, Rapid Bucharest player Costin Lazar refused to take a penalty because he did not believe he had been fouled by a Galati player. The referee eventually agreed with him.
In 1997, Robbie Fowler unsuccessfully pleaded with the referee not to give a penalty kick to Liverpool for a foul on him by Arsenal David Seaman.  Even Arsenal accepted a replay of an FA Cup game after the referee had blundered in allowing a no-goal to stand.
Di had  once ‘beaten’ a referee after being red carded and was famous for his Nazi salute after scoring.
All these are incidents which came to mind after Thierry Henry’s hand-goal against the Republic of Ireland in that World Cup qualifier.
Every footballer has a seed of goodness in him. A good  sign of moral.
FIFA refused to replay the World Cup play off match because Law 5 says ‘the referee’s decision is final.’ So are referees above the institution now? Is there anyone who is above FIFA?
No one should be above an  institution.
Remember Chelsea were robbed out of last year’s Champions League semi-final and nothing was done to the referee although the whole world saw. Today, UEFA comes out to say they have unearthed a massive web of corruption and match fixing in European football including some champions league football and FIFA still sticks to its rules.
Ireland was robbed of a place in the World Cup by France. But what could have Thierry Henry done in that instance? I think he did what any player would have done if the whistle is not blown, pass the ball. I could have done that for our National Media Team too.
The only thing is that Thierry should have gone to the referee and told him immediately. But what can you expect from someone who leaves his wife and infant back in England and never returns home?
But this leaves  questions on referees. Some  call for video-evidence in football. I am against that. I say, there should be a panel to review and investigate controversial  matches in any federations NFA, SAFA, CAF, CECAFA, FIFA etc.
Millions saw it and the thousands in that stadium saw that on video replays that it was a not a goal. It was even an offside.
There is lack of moral courage at FIFA. The president of Uefa, Michel Platini is a Frenchman.
FIFA is telling the world that if you cheat you will win and as you celebrate that goal you run looking at bill-boards in the stadium written: FIFA  FAIR PLAY.
 Forgive Henry for he only sinned (and admitted his wrong doing).
It’s the match official who decided to let the goal stand and FIFA who said the referee is right.
FIFA decides who goes to the World Cup. In 2005, a replay was staged between Uzbekistan and Bahrain in a World Cup qualifier where FIFA said there was a “technical error by the referee.”
That was because they were minor teams.
In February this year, Ireland benefited from poor refereeing during the qualifiers  when they got a totally wrong  and controversial penalty in their 2-1 win over Georgia.
Therefore while we respect referees, we should respect the rules, but if the rules are bad, they should respect us and get changed. Not only changed when its suits.
I pray that France should be pitted with Ivory Coast or Algeria at the World Cup so that they get a good fucking hiding in Jozi.
They are just a pathetic team masquerading as a world force.
FIFA is scared of bending its own rules. It prepares poor judgment over moral.  Already UEFA has started a system of one extra official at either goalmouth  and FIFA does not want to borrow the idea.
Do me a favour, email me a World Cup team to support, now that my Russia has failed to qualify. I am open to any of your suggestions, as long as it is not Argentina, the Irish cousins (England), Bafana Bafana, Italy or France.
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