Sports

Senegal become first African team to beat England with 3-1 win in friendly

Published

3 days ago

June 10, 2025

Senegal became the first African team to beat England in 22 games on Tuesday, winning 3-1 in a friendly at the City Ground thanks to goals from Ismaila Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly.

Senegal stretched their unbeaten streak to 24 games, while England’s loss, which included a disallowed late goal from Jude Bellingham for a handball in the build-up, was their first defeat in four games under new manager Thomas Tuchel.

“Not good enough,” captain Harry Kane told ITV. “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.”England — with 10 changes from Saturday’s 1-0 lacklustre World Cup qualifying win over Andorra took the lead when Kane struck in the seventh minute after Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved Anthony Gordon’s shot but spilled the ball into the striker’s path.T

he hosts conceded for the first time under Tuchel when Sarr caught Kyle Walker napping to poke in Nicolas Jackson’s cross in the 40th minute.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 62nd when Diarra latched onto a ball over the top then fired through goalkeeper Dean Henderson’s legs. Sabaly struck deep into stoppage time, prompting boos from England fans after the final whistle.

We’re not going to panic but we know we need to be better,” Kane said. “New ideas, there’s new players coming into the team that don’t have experience at international level.

“It’s a mixture of things but no excuses. We need to find it quick, the World Cup is going to come around really fast so every camp is really important right now.

“Senegal peppered Henderson with nine shots on target to England’s four, including an early header from Sarr that the goalkeeper pushed wide of the post.

Gordon squandered a glorious chance to give England a two-goal lead in the first half when he mis-hit Walker’s cross from close range.

Mendy made a great late save to deny England what would have been an equaliser from Bukayo Saka before Senegal added their third.

“Disappointing result, not sure if maybe didn’t deserve a little bit more result-wise,” Tuchel said. “But felt again a bit frozen, not active enough for a long time of the match.

“We conceded the first two goals, very easy goals, that we needed to defend better.

The reaction was good after we were down, suddenly more active, more free, more fluid, more aggressive towards the opponent’s goals. We had then big chances to equalise.”

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Sports

Leadership Boost: Dr. Nneka Anibeze Takes Helm as AFN COO

Published

17 hours ago

June 12, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

In a major boost for Nigerian athletics, Dr. Nneka Anibeze, a seasoned sports journalist and respected figure in the Nigerian sports community, has been appointed as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN).

The appointment was officially announced on Thursday in Abuja, shortly after the conclusion of the AFN elections.

AFN President Chief Tonobok Okowa stated that the appointment aligns with the National Sports Commission’s broader objective to promote inclusivity and inject fresh, dynamic leadership into the federation’s administrative framework. Alongside Dr. Anibeze’s appointment, Kola Oredipe was named Auditor, with other professionals also appointed into key legal advisory roles.

Dr. Anibeze brings to the role a wealth of experience, leadership, and a proven track record of contributing to the growth of sports in Nigeria. Her appointment is widely seen as a strategic move to strengthen AFN’s operations, both domestically and on the international stage.

Stakeholders across the sports sector have hailed the appointment, expressing optimism that Dr. Anibeze’s knowledge, professionalism, and vision will help reposition Nigerian athletics for long-term success.

In her remarks following the announcement, Dr. Anibeze took a moment to appreciate the critical role of the Nigerian media in advancing sports development.

Speaking shortly after the election of the Nigeria Association for Women in Sports (NAWIS) representative into the AFN board, she described the media as “the most important stakeholder” in the sporting ecosystem.

> “The future of Nigerian sports is very bright,” she stated. “The media is the greatest stakeholder in sports. Without the media, it’s like blinking in the dark.”

Drawing from her extensive experience in sports journalism, Dr. Anibeze recalled covering iconic international competitions, including the 1995 World Athletics Championships in Gothenburg, where she reported on Nigerian legends like Fatima Yusuf, Mary Onyali, and Innocent Egbunike.

“Back then, sports coverage was occasional. Today, sports is big business—and the media drives that business. Without television rights, sponsorship deals, and live coverage, sports would not attract the massive investments it does today,” she explained.“The media makes sports visible, marketable, and profitable.”

Dr. Anibeze urged journalists and media organizations to continue championing the growth of Nigerian sports, stressing their responsibility in shaping narratives and driving positive change.

“Despite the challenges, I believe in the future of sports in Nigeria. With people committed to doing the right thing—and with the media actively involved—we will get there,” she concluded.

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