Senegal Ends England’s 22-Game Streak With 3-1 Victory

Senegal made headlines on Tuesday by defeating England 3-1 in an international friendly at the City Ground, ending the Three Lions’ 22-match unbeaten streak. Goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly handed the African champions a landmark victory while extending their own unbeaten run to 24 games.

England, under new manager Thomas Tuchel, suffered their first defeat in four games. A late goal from Jude Bellingham was ruled out for handball in the build-up, adding to a frustrating night.

“Not good enough,” said England captain Harry Kane in a post-match interview with ITV. “We had our moments, but both with and without the ball, things aren’t clicking. We’re missing the tempo and that aggressive edge we used to have.”

Kane had opened the scoring early, finding the net in the seventh minute after Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy spilled a shot from Anthony Gordon. But the lead didn’t last long.

Senegal equalized in the 40th minute as Sarr capitalized on a defensive lapse by Kyle Walker to convert Nicolas Jackson’s cross. In the 62nd minute, Diarra struck again, finishing between Dean Henderson’s legs after a long ball over the top.

Sabaly sealed the win with a third goal in stoppage time, triggering boos from the home fans.

Despite the loss, Kane remained calm. “We’re not going to panic, but we know we must improve. We have new ideas coming in, new players who are still finding their footing at international level. But we can’t make excuses. The World Cup is approaching quickly, and every camp is crucial.”

Senegal outshot England on target, testing Henderson nine times to England’s four. Sarr had earlier forced a strong save with a header, and Gordon missed a chance to extend England’s early lead. Mendy made a key late stop to deny Bukayo Saka an equalizer before Sabaly’s decisive strike.

Tuchel admitted the performance fell short. “A disappointing result. Maybe we deserved a bit more in terms of outcome,” he said. “But we looked a bit frozen, not proactive for long stretches of the match. We conceded two very preventable goals. Once we were behind, we reacted well, more energy, more freedom, more attacking intent but by then it was too late.”