The international break is upon us and fans of Premier League teams will be hoping their players return back for club duty safe and sound - and if they can perform well with their nation while away, all the better.
Sides towards the top of the division typically have more players than others away with their countries - and Spurs fall into that bracket.
Ange Postecoglou's side have no further than 16 players called up for international duty over the present fortnight before the top flight resumes next weekend.
Advert
And Spurs midfielder Yves Bissouma is currently away with Mali as they continue their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign, having already qualified for next year's competition as the winners of Group G.
Mali played their final group game against South Sudan yesterday and ended their qualifying campaign on a high with a 4-0 victory.
Ibrahima Kone opened the scoring after only 10 minutes and the hosts doubled their advantage just before the half-hour mark by Kamory Doumbia.
Advert
After the break, Doumbia added his second and Mali's third goal, before Nene Dorgeles added the hosts' fourth and final strike to conclude the victory.
But perhaps the most special thing about Dorgeles's goal was not the strike itself but how it came about - and Bissouma played a key part in it with quite a special assist.
Bissouma darted into the box and got past his marker before halting at the by-line, and leaving a South Sudan defender on the floor.
Advert
The Spurs midfielder then produces some quick footwork to evade the diving goalkeeper, remaining cool and keeping the ball in play, before cutting back into the six yard box for Dorgeles to slot home Mali's fourth.
Bissouma has started all four of Spurs' Premier League games so far for Postecoglou in the early days of his reign in North London.
Though as a holding midfielder his job is more to stop goals rather than create them, the Spurs boss will likely have had a smile on his face when he saw what Bissouma has done on international duty.
Topics: Tottenham Hotspur, Yves Bissouma
