Senegal claimed a thrilling 3-1 historic comeback win over England in an international friendly at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Tuesday, Afrosport reports.
The Teranga Lions, who became the first African team in history to defeat England, were lifted by goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly after Harry Kane had put the Europeans in front with his 73rd international goal.
The Three Lions, who returned to the City Ground for the first time in 84 years, got off to a blistering start, drawing first blood in the seventh minute as Kane tapped the ball into an empty net from close range.
The Bayern Munich forward reacted quickest to poke the ball home after goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved an initial effort from Anthony Gordon.
Senegal, however, drew level in the 40th minute through Crystal Palace forward Sarr, who latched onto a cross from Nicolas Jackson before finding the back of the net.
The hosts made a triple change in the second half, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Morgan Rogers, and Curtis Jones entering the fold for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
The changes, meanwhile, had little impact as Senegal completed their comeback in the 62nd minute through Strasbourg midfielder Diarra. Captain Kalidou Koulibaly played a brilliant ball over the England defence, and Diarra, who beat the offside trap, placed the ball beyond goalkeeper Dean Henderson from close range.
Tuchel responded with a double change as Noni Madueke and Jude Bellingham came on for the last 19 minutes of normal time. The duo was involved in a goal for England as Bellingham got on the end of a knockdown from a Madueke corner, but his effort was ruled out for handball.
Senegal added a third through substitute Sabaly in the third minute of stoppage time. The Metz striker, who scored his first international goal, finished off a sweet counterattack, sliding the ball past Henderson from a well-timed pass from Lamine Camara
The battle between the fourth- and 19th-ranked teams in the world ended in a famous win for Pape Thiaw’s Senegal as the Teranga Lions defeated the Three Lions for the first time – avenging their 3-0 loss from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
