There's no doubt, although the fact that they didn't say "no" right away is odd. Rule V is clear: referee's decisions on the field are not subject to any sort of anything after the fact. Do you know the background/details of the 2005 match that was replayed? That one was actually one of the biggest backfires of all time. Uzbekistan and Bahrain were in qualifying playoffs for an AFC spot in the 2006 World Cup (well, a playoff to a playoff with T&T). Uzbekistan, leading 1-0 at home in the first leg, was awarded a PK. They scored, but the referee disallowed it because another Uzbek player was in the box. Rather than re-attempt the PK, as was rule, the referee awarded Bahrain a free kick. Uzbekistan protested the 1-0 final result, saying it should be a forfeit and a 3-0 result. FIFA compromised with a game replay. That game? Ended 1-1, and Bahrain advanced on 2-1 aggregate. Sources: http://www.nytimes.com/iht/2005/09/07/sports/IHT-07soccer.html http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/germany2006/news/newsid=27212.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(AFC)#Play-off