England experienced a significant setback in their international friendly campaign, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat against Senegal at the City Ground in Nottingham on Tuesday, June 10. Despite an early lead provided by captain Harry Kane, the Three Lions were unable to maintain their advantage, ultimately suffering a loss that was described in reports as their first against an African team in 22 years, with some accounts even suggesting it was their first-ever such defeat.

The match began promisingly for England, with Harry Kane finding the net in the seventh minute. The Bayern Munich striker capitalized on a rebound after Senegal's goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, parried a shot from Anthony Gordon. However, England could not build upon this early momentum. Senegal drew level in the 40th minute when Ismaila Sarr exploited a defensive lapse from Kyle Walker to score the equalizer, shifting the dynamic of the game before half-time.

Senegal, the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations champions, continued to press their advantage in the second half. Habib Diarra put the visitors ahead in the 62nd minute, skillfully beating Morgan Gibbs-White before slotting the ball between the legs of England's goalkeeper, Dean Henderson. The Teranga Lions' victory was sealed by Youssouf Sabaly, who added a third goal with a composed finish past Henderson. This win extended Senegal's impressive unbeaten streak to 24 consecutive matches, underscoring their strong form.

Following the match, England captain Harry Kane was openly critical of his team's performance. He stated, "Not good enough," and elaborated that "with and without the ball things aren’t clicking, we’re not finding the right tempo." Kane also lamented that England had "lost that aggressive nature that we had" and expressed frustration over the team's perceived lack of creativity in attack. He emphasized the urgent need for improvement if England are to be serious contenders for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Despite his harsh assessment, Kane also offered a broader perspective, suggesting the defeat could serve as a valuable "learning experience" and insisted there was "no reason to panic." He acknowledged Senegal's technical prowess and strong performance, admitting that England "lost too many individual battles" throughout the encounter. Kane himself had been in scoring form, having also netted the only goal in England's narrow World Cup qualifying win over Andorra on Sunday, June 8, just days before the Senegal match.

England manager Thomas Tuchel, as identified in the provided reports, also voiced his disappointment with the outcome. According to Sky Sports, Tuchel felt that the goals conceded by England were "preventable" and indicated they should have been defended more effectively. The German tactician also mentioned that England had an opportunity to equalize which was subsequently disallowed. Tuchel described the team's state during the match, saying, "It felt a bit frozen and not active enough for a long time in the match."