FIFA - said yesterday it had approved the use of video replays in a challenge match between France and Sweden in April.

The proposal, made by the French Football Federation, must also be approved by the International Football Board, which controls the laws of the game, when it meets next week in Belfast.

"The French FA has offically asked if it can experiment with video and we said OK," said FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren.

The decision represents an about-face by FIFA which in the past has been firmly against the use of video replays, saying they would undermine the authority of referees.

The referees committee, which met earlier this week in Zurich, underlined its strong opposition to the use of video saying it strongly rejected experiments with electronic line-judges and field-side television monitors to decide controversial situations.