London – Saba:
In a surprising friendly match, Senegal achieved a historic 3-1 victory over England, marking England's first defeat to an African opponent in 22 matches.
The game served as preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers for both teams.
England, the last European Championship runners-up, took an early lead through Harry Kane in the 7th minute. However, Senegal's "Lions of Teranga" equalized via Ismaila Sarr in the 40th minute, ending the first half 1-1. Habib Diarra and Cheick Sabaly then secured the win for Senegal with goals in the 62nd and 90th minutes, respectively.
This defeat was England's first under their new German coach, Thomas Tuchel, who took over in early 2025. It also marks a significant upset as England had not lost to an African team before, according to ESPN.
England is now preparing for European World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September, while Senegal will host Sudan and face DR Congo in their African qualifiers.
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