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THE FAI’S hopes of winning what would be a rather remarkable a World Cup reprieve appeared to rest with the French Football Federation last night after officials at the game’s governing body dismissed the idea that Wednesday’s game in Paris might be replayed.

“There is no way the game can be replayed,” said a source at Fifa headquarters in Switzerland. “To do so would cause absolute chaos for football. If it was replayed then every match in the future would also be subject to these calls for a replay any time a referee misses an incident.”