In a thrilling Tuesday night clash at Nottingham’s City Ground, Senegal carved their name into the record books, becoming the first African team in 22 matches to defeat England. The West African giants secured a commanding 3-1 victory in a friendly match that exposed more questions than answers for England under new manager Thomas Tuchel.
The win marked Senegal’s 24th game unbeaten—a streak that now includes this historic triumph over one of Europe’s top sides. For England, it was a night of missed opportunities, defensive lapses, and growing pains as Tuchel’s fourth game in charge ended in his first defeat.
England drew first blood in the 7th minute through captain Harry Kane, who pounced on a rebound after Édouard Mendy parried away Anthony Gordon’s low drive. It looked like the hosts were ready to dominate—until they weren’t.
Senegal, unfazed and organized, steadily grew into the game. Their equaliser came just before halftime, as Ismaïla Sarr took advantage of Kyle Walker’s momentary lapse to tap in Nicolas Jackson’s well-weighted cross.
The second half brought more sharpness from the Senegalese side. Habib Diarra added a second in the 62nd minute, sprinting onto a long ball and slotting it coolly between Dean Henderson’s legs. And just when England thought they might salvage something, Cheikh Sabaly struck deep into stoppage time to seal the result—sparking boos from frustrated home fans.
Kane didn’t mince words after the match. “Not good enough,” he admitted in a post-match interview. “We had our moments, but nothing really clicked. We’re losing that edge, that aggression we used to have.”
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Tuchel echoed that sentiment. “We looked frozen for large parts of the game,” he said. “There were chances, yes, but the goals we gave away were far too soft. We reacted late and lacked real intensity for most of the night.”
Despite the bright start, England’s performance was punctuated by missed chances and disjointed play. Anthony Gordon missed a golden opportunity to double the lead, and Bukayo Saka was denied a late equaliser by a brilliant save from Mendy. A disallowed goal from Jude Bellingham, due to a handball in the buildup, only added to the sense of a night gone wrong.
For Senegal, the night was a showcase of their growing reputation on the global stage. With nine shots on target—more than double England’s tally—they were clinical, confident, and tactically disciplined.
Tuchel, still early in his tenure, has time to tweak and rebuild, but the urgency is real. “There’s no panic,” Kane said, “but there’s no time either. The World Cup is right around the corner, and every game from here matters.”
As the final whistle blew and the City Ground emptied with a mix of applause and discontent, one thing was clear—Senegal didn’t just beat England. They sent a message.
