England shockingly lost to African team Senegal at home

(NLDO) – Harry Kane opened the scoring early but England still had to accept a 1-3 defeat against Senegal in a friendly match that took place in the early morning of June 11 at City Ground.

The friendly match between England and Senegal is considered an important test for both teams as the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign is underway. Against a highly rated opponent from Africa, coach Thomas Tuchel launched a squad rich in youth combined with a few experienced pillars such as Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Kyle Walker.

Harry Kane scores his 73rd goal for the "Three Lions"

The home team opened the scoring early in the 7th minute. From a messy ball in the penalty area, Anthony Gordon's shot failed to catch goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, allowing the ball to bounce right into Kane's reach. The former Tottenham striker did not miss the opportunity, easily scoring against Senegal.

It seemed that the early goal would help England play more excitedly, but on the contrary, the white team gradually lost control of the game to their opponents. Senegal played tightly, organized a high-pressing game and continuously exploited the home team's flanks - where Kyle Walker and young player Lewis-Skelly repeatedly exposed gaps.

Ismaïla Sarr scores on his return to English football

After much effort, the visitors equalized in the 40th minute. From a quick counter-attack, Nicolas Jackson pierced the England defense to allow Ismaïla Sarr to sprint past Dean Henderson. The Marseille winger finished neatly, bringing the match back to the starting line.

Habib Diarra scored Dean Henderson's second goal of the match

In the second half, England made a few personnel adjustments but still could not improve the situation. The midfield played disjointedly, while the defense continued to make mistakes.

In the 62nd minute, from a cross from the right wing, Habib Diarra headed the ball past Henderson, raising the score to 2-1 for Senegal.

Jude Bellingham's goal disallowed

In the remaining minutes, Coach Tuchel brought Cole Palmer, Ivan Toney and Kobbie Mainoo onto the field to increase the pressure. In the 83rd minute, Jude Bellingham put the ball into the Senegal net after a beautiful combination, but VAR determined that Levi Colwill had handled the ball before and refused to recognize the goal.

England played poorly

Despite many attacks but not being able to score more goals, the home team continued to pay the price. In the 90+3 minute, from a sharp counter-attack, Cheikh Sabaly decisively finished, sealing a 3-1 victory for Senegal.

The defeat left England facing a lot of criticism. Fans at the City Ground booed the referee when the final whistle was blown. Meanwhile, Senegal players celebrated with excitement after the historic victory.

Cheikh Sabaly outjumps Trevor Chalobah to score Senegal's third

This is the first time an African team has beaten England, both officially and in a friendly.

Notably, Senegal also extended their unbeaten streak to 24 matches - proving the remarkable stability of coach Aliou Cissé and his team and showing that they are capable of playing on equal terms with any big team.

Speaking after the match, coach Thomas Tuchel admitted that England played below their best and lacked the necessary connection between the lines. "We started well but lost control too quickly. The defense left too many gaps, especially when counter-attacked," the German strategist shared.

Thomas Tuchel suffered his first defeat with England

A friendly defeat to Senegal did not affect England's position in the World Cup qualifiers, as Thomas Tuchel's team are on a three-game winning streak, leading a European group.

However, this poor result is a stern warning bell for the "Three Lions", a young team that needs to quickly adjust to look forward to the rest of the qualifying campaign and, further, to the World Cup finals.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tuyen-anh-thua-soc-senegal-tren-san-nha-196250611060435468.htm