By Victor Kanayo
Senegal late Tuesday night heaped a 3-1 away defeat on England in a high profile international friendly match decided inside Manchester City’s stadium.
The outcome of the game meant that the star-studded England side lost to an African team for the first time ever.
It was an encounter that ensured that Thosmas Tuchel’s boys laboured badly, before their fans turned booing heat on them.
Action Period
Ismaila Sarr capitalised on Kyle Walker’s sluggishness to level just before half-time and Habib Diarra ran away from Morgan Gibbs-White to find himself wide open in the right channel to put the ball between Dean Henderson’s legs soon after the hour mark.
England did have chances to equalise, with Edouard Mendy making fine stops to keep out Gibbs-White and Bukayo Saka, before substitute Jude Bellingham had a goal disallowed for a handball by Levi Colwill – a debatable decision late in the game.
Any doubt over the result was ended when Noni Madueke’s poor free-kick in stoppage time allowed Senegal to break and they countered expertly, Youssouf Sabaly finishing calmly beyond Henderson to secure this historic win.
A Night To Forget
England have endured disappointing results in these June fixtures before. Not so long ago they lost 4-0 at home to Hungary in the Midlands.
England had 15 wins and six draws from their previous 21 matches against African opponents.
In September, 2026 World Cup qualifiers will resume across the globe.
