England manager Thomas Tuchel and team captain Harry Kane have voiced their disappointment following the Three Lions’ 3-1 loss to Senegal in an international friendly on Tuesday night.
The result, England’s first-ever defeat to an African country, has raised concerns about the team’s form ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Despite taking an early lead through Kane in the seventh minute, England were outplayed for much of the game as Senegal hit back with goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra, and Cheikh Sabaly.
Speaking after the match, Tuchel admitted his side paid the price for poor defending and missed chances.
“Yeah of course, it is a disappointing result,” Tuchel told TV Sport. “We conceded the first two goals – very easy goals, we need to defend better.”
Tuchel acknowledged the team showed some fight after falling behind but couldn’t make it count.
“The reaction was good after we were down,” he added. “We suddenly were more active, more free, more fluent, more aggressive. We had big chances to equalise.”
Meanwhile, captain Harry Kane offered a blunt assessment of the team’s performance, describing it as below the required standard.
“Not good enough,” Kane said in his post-match comments. “We had moments, but with and without the ball things aren’t clicking. We’re not finding the right tempo. We’ve lost that aggressive nature that we had.”
Kane, who scored England’s lone goal, warned that improvements are urgently needed if the team hopes to be a serious contender at the next World Cup.
With this loss coming just months into Tuchel’s reign as head coach, both manager and captain emphasized the need to regroup and refocus, as tougher tests lie ahead on the road to 2026.
