Cisse targets World Cup spot
ATHENS - Djibril Cisse must add to his impressive tally of 23 goals this season in order to win back a place in the France squad, the Panathinaikos striker has said.
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The 28-year-old netted twice as the Greeks secured a second successive 3-2 win over AS Roma on Thursday and claim a place in the Europa League last 16.
Those goals came hours after Cisse was once again overlooked by coach Raymond Domenech for the France squad to play European champions Spain next week, despite injuries to forwards Karim Benzema and Andre-Pierre Gignac.
Domenech instead opted to recall Everton striker Louis Saha more than three years after he earned his last cap in November 2006.
"The goals I scored is my answer (to Domenech)," Cisse told reporters at the Stadio Olimpico after his side's surprise 6-4 aggregate win.
"Again I wasn't called up to the French national team, but what I have to do is to continue to score goals and win with my team. That's my job.
"I was very disappointed before the match but I got over it through the success of the team and by scoring two goals."
Around 8,000 Panathinaikos supporters made the trip to Rome for the match and a further 1,000 gave the team a warm welcome at Athens' Eleftherios Venizelos airport in the early hours of Friday morning following the win.
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France host Spain at the Stade de France on March 3.
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