thierry henry is unlikely to see much of south africa next summer if fifa sticks to its own fair play code of conduct

Poor old, Thierry Henry.

After all, it may not be just Ireland who will be conspicuous by their absence in South Africa next June.

The French superstar, globally acknowledged as an all-round good egg, is likely to have paid the ultimate sacrifice in putting his country’s best interests before his own.

It was his illegal hand – and his hand alone – that booked France a place in the world’s greatest competition. But in the strangest of ironies, it may be the hand of an organisation founded in the French capital, Paris, that plays the final cards in this sordid saga.

Because FIFA, a French-run body right down to its official language (the acronym is in French – Fédération Internationale de Football Association) may have no choice but to ban the French striker for bringing the game of football into disrepute.

He cannot deny it, because he’s already admitted it: to Richard Dunne after the game in a conversation on the pitch that was caught by the TV cameras.

He told press after he handled but, he maintains, it was simply an accident. Few, if any, believe him.

There is a precedent already this season for banning players for poor sportsmanship: UEFA have meted out bans on Didier Drogba and Eduardo for behaving in an ungentlemanly way in the Champions League.

Both charges involved the use of TV evidence.

So, it is inconceivable to imagine Henry lining up for at least the first two group games next summer.

And the way they are playing, the chances of France qualifying out of their group are distant at best – even if they do replace their poor, unpopular manager, Raymond Domenech.

Not that Henry’s absence will be any consolation in Ireland, a proud nation laid lower than almost all in the credit crunch.