Djibril Cisse: Liverpool Cult Hero Opens Up on Picking France Over Ivory Coast at Senior Level

• Djibril Cisse has disclosed his love for Ivory Coast
• The ex-France winger was born to Ivorian parents
• Ivory Coast will face DR Congo in the semi-final

Former France international, Djibril Cisse has disclosed why he could not play for Ivory Coast at the international level.

The Liverpool legend was born to Ivorian parents in Arles, France, and grew up representing the European country from the youth levels to the senior team.

Although he had great love for the Ivory Coast, he never had the chance to represent the Elephants.

"I didn't have the chance to wear this (Ivorian) jersey, but my love and my attachment to Côte d'Ivoire have always been there," he told NCI.

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The former France forward was reportedly contacted by former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo, but it was for him to reconcile with his father.

Cisse made 41 appearances for Les Bleus, scoring nine goals and winning the Confederations Cup with France in 2003, per Transfermarkt.

The 42-year-old enjoyed an illustrious career, which saw him also win the UEFA Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, in a dramatic encounter against AC Milan.

Known for his different hairstyles than his talent on the pitch, Cisse retired in 2021 to focus on his DJ career.

He played for several clubs in Europe including French giants Olympique Marseille, Sunderland in England and Lazio in Italy. At the twilight of his career, he spent time in the USA playing for PAO Chicago.

Diakite scores late winner for Ivory Coast

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Oumar Diakite scored in extra time to give hosts Ivory Coast a 2-1 win over Mali in Bouake on Saturday after a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final.

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Despite going a man down due to a red card in the first half, the Ivorians also fell behind in the second half to a Nene Dorgeles goal only for second-half substitute Simon Adingra to equalise in the 90th minute.

The result marked another upward turn for the Ivory Coast in a roller coaster AFCON campaign in which they scraped into the knockout stage after a 4-0 hiding from Equatorial Guinea.