Sissoko joins Kanoute in Mali quit threat

Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko, seen here in February 2005, joined Tottenham striker Frederic Kanoute in considering retirement from international football following the violence which followed the team's shock World Cup defeat to Togo at the weekend

Mali midfielder Mohamed Sissoko joined Tottenham striker Frederic Kanoute in considering retirement from international football following the violence which followed the team's shock World Cup defeat to Togo at the weekend.

"If this is not sorted out, then I will play no more," said the 20-year-old Sissoko who plays for Valencia in Spain. "Other players I have talked to think the same as me."

Kanoute said he may quit playing for Mali after he was threatened by angry fans following the 2-1 loss to Togo. The defeat by a last-minute goal meant that Mali's hopes of reaching the World Cup finals in Germany next year had vanished.

Incensed fans among the 40,000 crowd invaded the pitch as the final whistle went and then there was widescale rioting in the streets of the capital Bamako which led to over 80 arrests and injuries to riot police and demonstrators.

Kanoute said it had been "the scariest experience of my career."

The 27-year-old said that furious fans had threatened to kill him and that he was seriously considering his international career.

Some media reports quoted fans as screaming: "Give us Frederic Kanoute and Mamadou Bagayoko, we are going to kill them".

Mali had led 1-0 but conceded two goals in the last seven minutes.