NOTTINGHAM: United Kingdom, June 10, 2025 : England slumped to a 3-1 home friendly defeat by Senegal on Tuesday to ramp up the scrutiny on boss Thomas Tuchel one year out from the World Cup.
Goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly inflicted England’s first ever defeat against African opposition at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground after Harry Kane had given the hosts an early lead.
Tuchel was scathing in his criticism of his side’s dreary display in beating minnows Andorra just 1-0 in World Cup qualifying on Saturday.
The German, who was appointed with the task of ending England’s wait since 1966 for a major tournament win, has so far failed to spark a star-studded squad into looking like contenders for the World Cup, even if this was his first defeat in four games.
Tuchel responded by making 10 changes, with Kane the only player to retain his place.
It took just seven minutes for the England captain to maintain his record of scoring in every game since Tuchel took charge.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy should have done better when he could only parry Anthony Gordon’s shot into the path of Kane, who tapped in his 73rd international goal.
Dean Henderson was given a rare chance to impress in the England goal as Jordan Pickford was relegated to the bench.
The Crystal Palace stopper made impressive saves from his club team-mate Sarr and Idrissa Gana Gueye.
But he was helpless when Sarr made the most of a lack of concentration from Kyle Walker to meet Nicolas Jackson’s cross and fire into the bottom corner.
England had never lost to African opposition in 22 previous matches but Senegal had been beaten just once from open play since losing to the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup.
Diarra was afforded acres of room to run in behind the England defense and slot between the legs of Henderson to put the visitors in front just after the hour mark.
Mendy made amends for his role in the opening goal with fine saves to deny Bukayo Saka and Morgan Gibbs-White a swift equalizer.
England thought they had levelled late on when Jude Bellingham smashed home from a corner.
But the goal was ruled out for a handball by Levi Colwill before the ball broke to the Real Madrid midfielder.
Senegal made the most of that reprieve to seal a famous win in stoppage time when Sabaly rounded off a slick counter-attack.
Boos rained down from the disgruntled home support to leave Tuchel with plenty to ponder before England are next in action in September.
England stunned by Senegal to put Tuchel under immediate pressure
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England stunned by Senegal to put Tuchel under immediate pressure
- Boos rained down from the disgruntled home support to leave Tuchel with plenty to ponder
‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026
- Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu
YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.
Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.
Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”
He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”
The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.
Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.
Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.
“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”
Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.
