England endured a disappointing 3-1 loss to Senegal in a home friendly on Tuesday, casting further doubt on Thomas Tuchel’s leadership ahead of the upcoming World Cup. The match, held at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, saw the visitors come from behind to hand the Three Lions their first-ever defeat to an African nation.
Harry Kane opened the scoring early, reacting quickly to a rebound after a save from Edouard Mendy. Despite the promising start, England’s defense faltered as Ismaila Sarr capitalized on a lapse in concentration to draw Senegal level before halftime.
Tuchel, who had criticized his team’s uninspired showing against Andorra days earlier, rotated nearly the entire squad in search of improvement. However, the changes failed to produce the desired impact. Habib Diarra later broke through England’s back line to slot home Senegal’s second, exposing vulnerabilities in the reshuffled defense.
A potential equalizer from Jude Bellingham was disallowed after VAR spotted a handball in the buildup, denying England a lifeline. In stoppage time, Cheikh Sabaly finished off a swift break to secure a historic win for Senegal.
The final whistle was met with disapproval from the home crowd, leaving Tuchel with significant questions to answer as England look to regroup before their next outing in September.