At the end of extra time in Paris last week, there must have been a fair amount self-congratulatory back-patting in the corridors of power of the world's most popular sport.

With the status-quo maintained and no danger of any minnows upsetting the tea party in South Africa next summer at the expense of a FIFA favourite, Sepp and co. could sit back, relax and revel in the injustice the whole world witnessed. A job well done by men who once again proved themselves risible excuses for leaders, devoid of the fair play ideals they claim to uphold. That the World Cup is to be held in a country still recovering from decades of elitist supremacy simply rubs the salt of sad irony into an already gaping wound.

In the immediate aftermath of the game, Ireland captain Robbie Keane launched a scathing and wholly justified attack on the powers of the world game, musing over the probable text messages of relief exchanged between Blatter and Michelle Platini. For Keane and the majority of us following the build up to the game, it wasn't so much the hand of Henry that highlighted the farcical notion of fair play in football at the highest level, rather the seeding that preceded events in Paris.

Such a move by FIFA just weeks before the play-offs clearly set out their stall in favour of the more lucrative footballing nations like France and Portugal and destroyed the concept of this ever being a fair draw. Of course you could argue that to merit a place in South Africa, the ability to defeat the elites is a necessity; fair point but moot if you look at from the other side – why should the top seeds be rewarded with easier games for their poor performances?

The hand-ball affair? To give Thierry Henry his due, he is just the product of a corrupt system but his squeaky clean image and media-savvy persona is irreparably tainted. In admitting his offence he simply added insult to injury and effectively branded himself a cheat.

With so much technology at our disposal it defies comprehension that video refereeing remains a no-go area in football. Those who oppose it argue it would kill the “wonderful” incidents such as France's dubious goal help create, regardless of the result being fair or not. Numpties of this mindset should read more on the injustices of war if they want debate as many of football's problems are resolvable should FIFA ever decide to try and do so unlike the tragedies of war.

You'd have to worry about the impression this leaves on young people the world over who sat and watched a blatant act of cheating reward a team a team that offered so little at the expense of one that played with pride, passion and dignity. Kids in the elite nations might as well cheat, kick and scream their way to the mountain top because, on this evidence, if they reach the summit the rules won't apply to them.