Senegal Make History, Defeat England 3-1 in Friendly

Senegal on Tuesday became the first African nation to defeat England, clinching a stunning 3-1 victory in an international friendly at the City Ground in Nottingham.

The win extended Senegal’s unbeaten run to 24 matches, powered by goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly.

England, under new manager Thomas Tuchel, suffered their first defeat in four games. Their only goal came in the 7th minute when Harry Kane pounced on a rebound after Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy spilled a shot from Anthony Gordon.

But Senegal turned the tide before halftime. Sarr leveled in the 40th minute after catching Kyle Walker off guard and finishing Nicolas Jackson’s cross. Diarra then put the visitors ahead in the 62nd minute, slipping the ball through goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s legs.

Sabaly sealed the result deep into stoppage time, prompting boos from the home crowd. England captain Harry Kane admitted after the match: “Not good enough. We’re not finding the right tempo, and we’ve lost our aggressive edge.”

England had made 10 changes from their narrow 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Andorra. Though they created chances, Gordon missed a close-range sitter and Bukayo Saka was denied late on by a fine Mendy save before Senegal added their third.

Senegal outplayed England with nine shots on target to the hosts’ four, showcasing their attacking depth and composure.

Tuchel acknowledged the poor defensive display: “We conceded very easy goals. The reaction after going down was good, but we need to be more active from the start.”

The historic result highlights Senegal’s rising status in international football and poses questions for Tuchel’s England ahead of the World Cup.