Kanoute: My France snub was right

"We were winning until the 80th minute. They equalised and scored again at the end. At that point, the crowd went mad.

"There were some stories which weren't true; I didn't hear any death threats against me and I was not scared to death. In my opinion, it was a general incident. It didn't affect just the stadium, there was rioting and looting elsewhere. Some people took advantage of the situation.

"For me, when everyone is happy and living in a good environment, they don't behave like that at a football game. I am not saying this is the worst country in the world. I think it is much better than other places - for example, in terms of democracy - but still there is a lot of poverty, problems and frustrations.

"That's why people react. That's why there was looting, rioting and criminal behaviour. Nothing to do with football. My team-mates read about the death threats and they have told me, 'It's not true, people love you here in Mali'. Even if one person said, 'Give us Fredi Kanoute, we want to kill him', there are 70,000 other people in the crowd and it doesn't mean they think the same way."

Nevertheless, the incident has shaken Kanoute enough to leave him undecided about continuing an international career which only began in January 2004. The former West Ham striker represented France at Under-21 level before opting to play for the land of his father's birth. Kanoute still insists it was the right call even though he could now be challenging for a place in Raymond Domenech's World Cup squad.

He said: "I have no regrets at all about not playing for France. I went to the last African Nations Cup and we got to the semi-finals. Everyone was saying then I had made the right decision. Now something goes wrong, they say you should have stayed with France, but you have to take the rough with the smooth.

"I don't want to give up easily. We still have a good team and I believe in my team-mates, but sometimes you have to think and consider what's best for you and your family.

"I don't want to say I won't go back but I have to think about it."

It is unfortunate for Kanoute and for Mali that his international career has reached crisis point at a time when his club form is so strong.

In what most fans view as his best season since joining Spurs for £3.5million in August 2003, Kanoute has scored seven goals and provided a host of assists for Jermain Defoe and Robbie Keane.

Such is the competition for places in the Spurs attack - Egypt striker Mido is also in the frame - that Keane was recently fined £10,000 for showing his frustration at not playing and it is to Kanoute's credit that he has emerged as a fixture in head coach Martin Jol's starting line-up.

He said: "It's been my best year at Spurs. I feel my game has been quite complete. I have scored a few goals and I have worked hard.

"I don't mind competition as long as it's fair. When you feel it's not fair sometimes you react. I understand Robbie's behaviour - we are footballers, we like to play football - but I think it's finished now. There is no problem any more.

"You have got to remember that what is true today is not necessarily true tomorrow.

"Last season when I came back from the African Nations Cup, it was like 'au revoir'. I didn't play many games and I was substitute a lot, but this season I have played much more."

Mido is available for tonight's home game with West Brom after recovering from a stomach muscle strain.

Thimothee Atouba is also in contention following a three-match ban, but Noureddine Naybet (hamstring), Anthony Gardner, Michael Brown (both foot), Noe Pamarot (knee) and Pedro Mendes (toe) are all missing.