Photo: AP
Keane's clinical first-half goal put Ireland ahead at Stade de France, but William Gallas equalized in extra time and sent the French through 2-1 on aggregate after their scrappy 1-0 win in Dublin last weekend.
Although angry at Thierry Henry's handball in the move leading to Gallas' goal, Keane was livid over the decision to make France one of the four seeded teams in the playoff draw, whereas Ireland was not seeded.
Keane said Blatter and Uefa president Michel Platini, who is French, would rather see France than Ireland playing at next year's World Cup in South Africa.
"Of course it is an easy decision to do the seedings," Keane said. "They're probably all clapping their hands, Platini sitting there on the phone to Sepp Blatter, texting each other, delighted with the result, with France (getting through)."
Keane, who had an outstanding match but should have added to his 41st international goal, believed Ireland was the far better team overall. Nicolas Anelka's scrappy goal decided Saturday's match at Croke Park.
"Of course, over the two legs we were certainly the better team. I can't recall them having many chances tonight. We caused them many problems. But at the end of the day they're through," Keane said. "We can keep our heads up, in the manner that we played. As captain I am very proud to be part of this team, I'm just gutted we didn't make it to the end."
Keane played many times for Tottenham against Henry when the Frenchman played for Arsenal until joining Barcelona two years ago, and was seething that Henry used his hand to guide the ball into his feet and then onto Gallas.
"Devastated to be honest with you. The way we played we deserved to win the game, there's no question about that," Keane said. "We saw it (on the replay). We knew anyway. When you see the reaction of goalkeeper Shay (Given), he's two yards away from it. You don't get a reaction like that (otherwise). He almost caught it and walked into the net with it."
Still, Keane felt he should have won the match, missing a great chance late in the second half when France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris forced him wide and Keane pushed the ball out of touch as he tried to get the ball under control.
"My touch let me down, I should have taken it round the 'keeper. I'm absolutely devastated," Keane said.
Lloris foiled Keane in the first half by diving at his feet, just as he did late on in Saturday's match at Croke Park.
FIFA - For the good of the game The Football Association of Ireland (FAI), Irish Minister for Sport, Taoiseach and Facebook social network groups are requesting a replay of the controversial FIFA World Cup play-off between Ireland and France in the interests of Fair Play. The FAI lodged an appeal with FIFA and also contacted the French Football Federation (FFF), it appears FAI hopes FFF may agree that a replay is fair play. Both captians, Thierry Henry and Robbie Keane, have called for a replay. 

The Irish supporters, who in the past have won the FIFA Fair Play Award, are angry after a blatant double handball by Thierry Henry enabled France to score the extra-time goal that cost Ireland entry to next year’s FIFA World Cup finals in South Africa. Most Irish anger has been directed at FIFA, although French captain Thierry Henry has admitted handling the ball. 

FAI has argued that there is a strong precedent; in 2005 where FIFA invalidated the result of a FIFA World Cup qualification match between Uzbekistan and Bahrain on the basis of a technical error by the match referee. However, Law 5 of the Laws of the Game state that: "The decisions of the referee regarding facts connected with play, including whether or not a goal is scored and the result of the match, are final." and a source at Fifa headquarters in Switzerland said that “there is no way the game can be replayed”. The generic concept of fair play is a fundamental part of the game of football and the Fair Play Campaign was conceived largely as an indirect result of the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, when the handball goal by Diego Maradona.

The referee Martin Hansson and (referee's assistants) Stefan Wittberg and Fredrik Nilsson were unable to see the incident but didn't ask Thierry Henry if he handled the ball. Its hoped the mistake won't cost the Swedish referee's a place in South Africa. FIFA's Fair play policy is playing by the rules, using common sense and respecting fellow players, referees, opponents and fans. The French union representing the nation’s gym teachers declared outrage at what it called “indisputable cheating.”

Minister for Sport Martin Cullen wrote to FIFA president Sepp Blatter urging him to call a rematch in the interests of fair play. Taoiseach Brian Cowen raised the issue with French president Nicolas Sarkozy on the fringes of last night’s EU summit. French Prime minister François Fillon said “neither the French government nor the Irish Government should interfere in the functioning of the international federation”.