Senegal Stuns England 3-1 in Historic Friendly Victory at City Ground

Senegal made history on Tuesday night by becoming the first African team to defeat England in 22 games, clinching a 3-1 win during an international friendly at the City Ground.

Goals from Ismaïla Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly secured the memorable victory for the Teranga Lions, who extended their unbeaten run to 24 matches. Meanwhile, England suffered their first defeat in four games under new manager Thomas Tuchel.

England captain Harry Kane, who opened the scoring in the seventh minute, expressed disappointment in the team’s performance:

“Not good enough,” Kane told ITV. “We had moments, but with and without the ball, things aren’t clicking. We’ve lost that aggressive nature that we had.”

Kane gave England the early advantage by capitalizing on a rebound after Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy spilled a save from Anthony Gordon‘s shot.

However, Senegal equalized in the 40th minute when Sarr took advantage of a defensive lapse by Kyle Walker to tap in Nicolas Jackson’s cross.

Senegal took control in the second half when Habib Diarra netted the second goal in the 62nd minute, slipping the ball through goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s legs.

The victory was sealed in stoppage time as Cheikh Sabaly added a third, silencing the home crowd and prompting boos at the final whistle.

England’s Jude Bellingham had a late goal disallowed due to a handball in the build-up, adding to the frustration of the hosts.