Kanouté played for the Malian national under-18 team at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 African Championship in Bamako. He averaged a team-high 14.3 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game, leading his team to its first gold medal at the tournament. Kanouté posted 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists against Senegal in the finals and was named tournament MVP. He later took part in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup in Heraklion, Greece. In seven games, Kanouté averaged 15.4 points, 5.1 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, helping Mali capture an unlikely silver medal, the best performance by an African team at the tournament. He was named to the All-Star Five with teammate Oumar Ballo.