Online Reporter
WHEN Cheikh Sabaly slotted home the visitors’ third goal at the City Ground on Tuesday night, he etched a historic win in the records of the Senegal football team.
Pape Thiaw’s team had completed a 3-1 victory over England — the first win for an African country over the Three Lions in 22 attempts.
Ismaila Sarr and Habib Diarra earlier turned the tide in favour of the visitors, after Harry Kane gave Thomas Tuchel’s side an early lead in the friendly.
“Fantastic night. We knew we could do something in this game,” Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“It was a tough game, but we showed our personality and showed we can play at this level.”
Koulibaly related the win to Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations victory in 2022.
“It is fantastic. We are not used to making history and we made it when we won AFCON and we made it tonight,” he said.
“We want to continue writing the story of Senegal. We wanted to show we have a good nation.”
Senegal have not lost a game since January 2024, when as defending champions they were beaten on penalties by Cote d’Ivoire at the AFCON last-16 stage.
Thiaw took charge in December and now has two wins and two draws.
Four of the Senegal XI who started at the City Ground play in the English Premier League, with Edouard Mendy and Koulibaly having turned out for Chelsea in the past as well.
In England’s previous 21 matches against African nations, the Three Lions had won 15 times and drawn six, Opta said.
They came close to losing to Tunisia in 1990, before Steve Bull rescued a 1-1 draw with an 89th-minute equaliser against Tunisia in a friendly before the World Cup.
England then had to overcome Cameroon in extra time at Italia 90, edging them out 3-2 in the quarter-finals.
The last time England were beaten by a country from another continent for the first time had been in 2003, when they were defeated 3-1 at Upton Park by Australia.
England slumped to their first defeat under Thomas Tuchel as Senegal secured a fully deserved victory in the friendly at the City Ground.
Tuchel’s side laboured badly throughout and were second best to impressive opposition, who became the first African team to beat England’s men.
A frustrating night for the Three Lions actually began well for them as they took the lead after seven minutes when captain Harry Kane pounced for his 73rd England goal.
That came after goalkeeper Edouard Mendy failed to hold Anthony Gordon’s shot, but it was as good as it got for England, who were sunk by goals from Sarr, Diarra and Sabaly.
Dean Henderson, in for regular keeper Jordan Pickford, was kept busy as the hosts struggled away from their usual Wembley base and Senegal drew level five minutes before the break when Kyle Walker switched off to allow Sarr to steal in at the far post.
It was the first goal England had conceded under Tuchel in four games, and Senegal probed England’s defensive vulnerability throughout.
The visitors got the lead their dominance merited when Diarra exploited space behind England’s defence to beat Henderson, firing through his legs at the near post just after the hour.
England went in search of an equaliser, with Mendy making amends for his earlier error by producing fine saves from substitute Morgan Gibbs-White and Bukayo Saka.
Tuchel’s side also had a late strike from Jude Bellingham ruled out for handball against Levi Colwill after a video assistant referee (VAR) intervention.
But Senegal wrapped up the win in the dying seconds of stoppage time when substitute Curtis Jones lost possession, allowing Sabaly to finish England off with a cool finish, sparking an angry reaction from the home supporters who remained inside the City Ground.
England had 15 wins and six draws from their previous 21 matches against African opponents, but here they were well beaten in the end.
The storm of booing that greeted Tuchel and his England players at the final whistle summed up a miserable night for the German boss.
England had the perfect start with Kane’s goal, and while this game came at the end of a gruelling season, it was still a chastening experience to see Tuchel’s team so comprehensively outplayed.
Keeper Henderson had kept Senegal at bay in the first half, saving from Everton’s Idrissa Gueye and Crystal Palace team-mate Sarr, who took advantage of Walker’s defensive lapse for the visitors’ leveller.
After that, England subsided and Senegal could have won by an even more convincing margin.
The away side delighted their followers with the victory, celebrating exuberantly once the third goal went in.
This defeat completed an undistinguished few days for England who scraped a 1-0 win against Andorra in Barcelona on Saturday.
The new coach may have three wins from his first four games, but the opposition — until now — had not been testing and this has been a somewhat sticky start by Gareth Southgate’s successor.
Tuchel duly felt the full force of the City Ground crowd as England’s supporters waited to see any sign of improvement or a new identity, with the World Cup just a year away. — BBC Sport.
