Islamabad, June 12, 2025: Cheikh Sabaly’s composed finish sealed a momentous 3-1 triumph for Senegal national football team against England at the City Ground on Tuesday night, marking a milestone result in the West African nation’s football history.
Under the guidance of head coach Pape Thiaw, Senegal became the first African side to ever overcome the Three Lions, ending a winless streak spanning 22 encounters.
England had drawn first blood early through Harry Kane, but strikes from Ismaila Sarr and Habib Diarra shifted the momentum firmly in the visitors’ favour before Sabaly’s late goal secured the famous win in the international friendly.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live after the match, Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly said, “Fantastic night. We knew we could do something in this game. It was a tough game, but we showed our personality and showed we can play at this level.”
Koulibaly went on to draw comparisons between Tuesday’s success and the country’s historic Africa Cup of Nations title two years ago.
“It is fantastic. We are not used to making history and we made it when we won Afcon, and we made it tonight,” he remarked. “We want to continue writing the story of Senegal. We wanted to show we have a good nation.”
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Senegal national football team remain unbeaten since January 2024, when their AFCON title defence ended in a dramatic penalty shootout defeat to Ivory Coast in the Round of 16. Since taking over in December, Thiaw has now overseen two wins and two draws.
Four of the starting eleven in Nottingham ply their trade in the English Premier League, while both Edouard Mendy and Koulibaly are former Chelsea players.
Before Tuesday’s shock defeat, England had never lost to an African team — their record against African opposition stood at 15 victories and six draws, according to Opta statistics.
One of the closest calls came back in 1990 when Tunisia held England to a 1-1 draw thanks to a late leveller from Steve Bull in a warm-up game before the World Cup. That same year, England narrowly edged past Cameroon 3-2 in extra time during the tournament’s quarter-finals.
The last time England tasted defeat to a team outside Europe or South America for the first time was in 2003, when Australia stunned them 3-1 at Upton Park.
