[jason]

Police have arrested 81 people after angry football fans ran riot in the streets of Mali's capital Bamako following their country's World Cup qualifying match home defeat at the hands of Togo, police said.

Several police and demonstrators had been injured, a senior police official told AFP, describing damage to property as "enormous.".

The last-minute winning goal for the visitors by Mama Cherif brought part of the 40,000 crowd swarming on to the pitch, and as the final whistle blew police moved in with teargas in a bid to restore control.

But the violence spilled on to the neighbouring streets, as protestors called for the Malian football federation to quit and also shouted slogans against President Amadou Toumani Toure's government.

Cars were burned or their windows smashed, tyres set alight, traffic signs pulled down and the main bridge across the Niger river blocked by barricades.

"Dozens of bars, restaurants and small hotels were burned down, and the demonstrators attacked symbols of the state and Malian sport," the police official, who declined to be identified, said.

These included the headquarters of the national Olympic committee, two sports grounds, including the March 26 stadium where Sunday's match was played, a large monument to African unity called the Africa Tower, and offices of the state betting organisation.

Other targets included brothels, leading officials to think that religious extremists were also at work.

A politician who declined to be identified said it was an expression of general dissatisfaction at growing economic difficulties as well as the poor performance of the national football team.

The official said the police only intervened to arrest "vandals" responsible for the destruction, and avoided a wholesale clash with the thousands of rioters.

A finance ministry source put the cost of the damage at "several billion" CFA francs (millions of euros, dollars).

Balla Konare, a Mali University professor, agreed.

"The demonstrators were fed up with the high cost of living and the education crisis, while religious radicals took it out on bars and other places of 'depravity'," he said, adding, "The government must be very careful."

The result left Mali at the bottom of Group One in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup in South Africa, with only two points from two draws out of six matches.

I wonder what punishment they will get!

Now if that was England,we would be whipped!!