England captain Harry Kane said that they are not going to panic after losing 3-1 to Senegal in a friendly which marks the first time in history that an African nation had defeated the Three Lions. “We’re not going to panic. But for sure we know we need to do better,” Kane said.
This was also the first defeat for England under coach Thomas Tuchel’s tenure. Kane’s record-extending 73rd England goal gave his team the lead in the seventh minute, when he bundled in after a goalkeeping error by Edouard Mendy.
Senegal was a step above over Tuchel’s previous England opponents Albania, Latvia and Andorra, and England conceded for the first time in his tenure in the 40th minute.
Nicolas Jackson chased down a long pass and hooked it back for the onrushing Ismaila Sarr to score after having outpaced Kyle Walker.
Senegal’s second goal followed a long ball to Habib Diarra, who seemed to be attempting a pass of his own when the ball deflected in off goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s leg.
Jude Bellingham thought he’d leveled the game for England with a goal at a corner in the 84th but it was ruled out for an earlier handball by Levi Colwill. Senegal made it 3-1 when Cheikh Sabaly finished off a counter in stoppage time.
In England’s last match vs Andorra, Tuchel had blasted the lacklustre attitude of the players even though a 50th minute Harry Kane strike got the Three Lions a win in Group K of the World Cup qualifiers on Saturday.
Tuchel said that while his players started off the game how he wanted them to, frustration at being shut down led to a dip in urgency and a performance that was unacceptable at a World Cup qualifier.
“I didn’t like the attitude how we ended the game,” he said. “I liked the attitude how we started the game. But I didn’t like the last half hour. I think we lacked urgency and seriousness you need in a World Cup qualifier. I didn’t like the body language and it was not what the occasion needed.”
