England suffered their first defeat under manager Thomas Tuchel as Senegal earned a well-deserved 3-1 victory in a friendly at the City Ground.
Tuchel’s team looked out of sorts for much of the game and were clearly second best against an impressive Senegal side, who made history by becoming the first African nation to defeat England.
The night had started positively for the hosts, with Harry Kane scoring his 73rd international goal in the seventh minute, capitalizing on a rebound after Edouard Mendy spilled a shot from Anthony Gordon.
However, that early breakthrough proved to be England’s only highlight.
With Jordan Pickford rested, Dean Henderson stepped in but was frequently called into action as Senegal applied consistent pressure.
The visitors equalized five minutes before halftime when Kyle Walker lost concentration, allowing Ismaila Sarr to convert at the far post—marking the first goal conceded by England in four matches under Tuchel.
Senegal continued to expose England’s defensive frailties and took a deserved lead just after the hour mark.
Habib Diarra found space behind the defence and beat Henderson with a low shot through his legs at the near post.
England pressed for an equaliser, with Mendy redeeming his earlier error by making sharp saves to deny Morgan Gibbs-White and Bukayo Saka.
Jude Bellingham appeared to have scored a late leveller, but his goal was disallowed following a VAR review for a handball by Levi Colwill.
Senegal sealed the victory deep into stoppage time when Curtis Jones lost possession and Cheikh Sabaly coolly slotted home, prompting boos from the home fans.
England had previously gone unbeaten in 21 matches against African opposition, winning 15 and drawing six—but were clearly outplayed on this occasion.
