(ANSA) - Rome, March 5 - World Cup winners Luca Toni and Alessandro Del Piero think they still have a chance of returning to the Italy squad and repeating their Germany feats in South Africa this summer.

Speaking after Italy's toothless 0-0 draw with Cameroon Wednesday, Toni said (Italy coach Marcello) Lippi knows my value and what I can bring to the squad".

The Cameroon game, Italy's last pre-World Cup test, gave AC Milan striker Marco Borriello little chance to show the form he has displayed in Milan's surge up the table to second behind leaders Inter.

Sampdoria striker Giampaolo Pazzini, until now Lippi's first-choice front man, struggled just as hard against the muscular Cameroon defence when he came on at half-time.

Toni, back training with third-placed Roma after a January 26 knock and in with a chance of making the team for Saturday night's clash with Milan at the Olimpico, said "I've recovered and I'm well".

"There are still two and a half months to the World Cup. I know I haven't played that much for the Azzurri but I was lucky enough to win a World Cup". Toni, who arrived on loan from Bayern Munich in early January, said after scoring his first brace for Roma just before his injury that he was expecting Lippi to follow his progress.

"He (Lippi) knows what I can give to the national team," said Toni, who has scored 16 goals for his country in 47 appearances, the last in November 2008.

"The important thing for me is to score as many goals as I can and help get Roma as high in the table as possible," said the World Cup winner, whose last previous goal had been for Bayern in the German Cup in October.

"We're just starting," said the ex-Fiorentina hitman, who will be 33 just before the World Cup starts.

DEL PIERO 'DREAM' ALIVE.

Del Piero was equally optimistic after seeing the performance against Cameroon, where first-time call-up Andrea Cossu of Cagliari was among the few who did well but did not convince skeptics he has what it takes to play back-up to stalwart right-winger Mauro Camoranesi, currently injured.

"I'm still following a dream," said Del Piero, 35, who extended his contract with Juve for a year in July and has come back into decent form despite a continued stuttering run by the Turin giants that dropped them to fifth in Serie A despite the replacement of coach Ciro Ferrara with Alberto Zaccheroni.

"The Italy shirt is the greatest aspiration for a player and playing in a World Cup is an undescribable joy," said Del Piero, who scored the winner in Italy's dramatic semi-final win over Germany in 2006.

"I've played a lot with the Azzurri, I've had my ups and downs, but everything came good with the World Cup win".

"So I'm still hoping and I might even stick around for 2014," he added with a quip.

The Juve icon, who holds the club's records for appearances and goals, said recently: ''It would be nice to go to the World Cup. It would mean I've played a great season. But that decision is up to Lippi''.

Del Piero has played for Italy 91 times since 1995, scoring 27 goals.

He has turned out 445 times for Juve since moving from hometown club Padova in 1993 and has scored 192 goals.

With his attacking options apparently narrowing - apart from Serie A top scorer Antonio Di Natale of Udinese, who had a good game against Cameroon - Lippi is still hoping that Francesco Totti can be lured out of retirement for South Africa.

The two have agreed to discuss Totti's fitness when the Serie A season just before the Serie A season ends in May.

Lippi is also being faced with a rising chorus of calls for Inter striker Mario Balotelli but has said he will resist them, just as he did for Sampdoria's Antonio Cassano.

The coach is counting on Juve striker Vincenzo Iaquinta recovering match fitness following his imminent return from a long injury. Lippi must give FIFA a list of 30 players by May 11 and whittle it down to 23 by June 1, ten days before the World Cup starts.

photo: Toni, Del Piero at Euro 2008