Thierry Henry handball video

Thierry Henry has admitted that replaying France's World Cup play-off against the Republic of Ireland would be "the fairest solution" following his handball in the build-up to Les Bleus' decisive goal, with his former manager at Arsenal, Arsène Wenger, insistent a rematch is the only way of restoring French credibility ahead of next summer's finals.

Fifa has ruled that the 1-1 draw at the Stade de France on Wednesday cannot now be changed despite Henry's clear infringement before squaring for William Gallas to equalise in extra-time. The French Football Federation retreated conveniently behind that decision today, conceding it was a "bitter qualification" but it had "to abide by what Fifa say", despite Henry suggesting in a carefully worded statement that a replay of the play-off second leg was preferable.

The Barcelona forward did, however, fall short of apologising for using his hand and denied being a cheat, shifting the onus back on to Fifa to resolve the furore. "Naturally I feel embarrassed at the way that we won and feel extremely sorry for the Irish who definitely deserve to be in South Africa," said Henry.

"Of course the fairest solution would be to replay the game but it is not in my control. There is little more I can do apart from admit that the ball had contact with my hand leading up to our equalising goal and I feel very sorry for the Irish. I have said at the time and I will say again that, yes, I handled the ball.

"I am not a cheat and never have been. It was an instinctive reaction to a ball that was coming extremely fast in a crowded penalty area. People are viewing a slowmotion version of what happened and not what I or any other footballer faces in the game. If people look at it in full speed you will see that it was an instinctive reaction. It is impossible to be anything other than that."

The Ireland captain, Robbie Keane, praised Henry's "courage and honour" in addressing the issue publicly today and urged the FFF to lobby Fifa to have the game replayed, though a spokesman for the French footballing authorities suggested tonight that it was, in fact, time to "move on". That will do little to ease the acute sense of embarrassment that has accompanied Raymond Domenech's side's progress to South Africa with Wenger, who was present in Paris on Wednesday night, suggesting the FFF has a moral obligation both to Ireland and to Henry to press for a rematch.

"The French Football Federation have to call for the game to be replayed – the credibility of France going to the World Cup depends on that," said Wenger, who had successfully pressed, along with his vice-chairman David Dein, to have Arsenal's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Sheffield United replayed 10 years ago when Marc Overmars's winning goal was scored when the visitors had expected the ball to be returned to them after an injury.

"French football and France as a country have a duty not to leave Thierry out there alone against the whole world. France has to say: 'Yes, it was a handball and we offer a replay,'" Wenger said.

"We want all sport to be fair. Now let's be realistic. Football, and sport in general, is full of heroes who have cheated 10 times more than Thierry. For me people who bought referees, who took drugs, they are the real cheats in sport. Thierry Henry has 14 years behind of fair behaviour in sport and he is singled out today, for me, in the wrong way. You mustn't go overboard with Thierry's behaviour. He made one mistake, and who hasn't made mistakes in life?"

Henry's reaction in twice cushioning the ball with his left hand to ensure it did not drift out of play before squaring for Gallas to score, has drawn comparisons with Diego Maradona's infamous first goal against England in the quarter-finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, though Wenger stressed the levels of intent were very different.

"I always said it was not the hand of God but the hand of the Devil, with Maradona," he added. "I never accepted what he did. Thierry's was an instinctive reaction of a striker. When the ball goes too far, you take your hand and use it… He meant to do it but what I mean is it is a reaction of a player when the ball is going out to keep it in.

"[He should apologise] because it is not a regular goal. You can understand at that moment, with the greed of wanting to score, he did that. With a little bit of distance, he is not a guy who wants to win pretty. He wants to win classy. But I am proud of the way France reacted. Everybody said: 'No, that's not the way we wanted to qualify.' The only people who didn't were political people. People are not happy."