Kalidou Koulibaly: Senegal 'not done writing history' after win against England

In a thrilling friendly at Nottingham's City Ground, Kalidou Koulibaly's side came from behind to beat England 3-1, becoming the first African team to defeat the Three Lions in an official match.

The result shattered a 21-match unbeaten streak England held over African opposition - a record that had stood for decades.

It all started in familiar fashion for England, with Harry Kane putting Gareth Southgate's men in front just seven minutes in. But Senegal's response was calm and calculated. Ismaila Sarr equalised before half-time, and in the second half, Habib Diarra handed the visitors a deserved lead.

As England pushed for an equaliser, Cheikh Sabaly struck in stoppage time to seal a statement victory.

"We knew we had something special in us. We showed personality, we showed we belong at this level. It's a fantastic night," Koulibaly told BBC Radio 5 Live, as quoted by Africanfootball.com

The result stretches Senegal's unbeaten run to 14 matches under head coach Pape Thiaw, whose team last tasted defeat in January - a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Ivory Coast in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

For Koulibaly, this latest triumph feels like another step in a journey that began with their first-ever AFCON title in 2021 - a journey defined by belief, unity, and a hunger to rewrite African football history.

"We're not used to making history, but we're getting used to it now. From AFCON to this - we want to keep showing the world what Senegal is about," he added.

African nations have flirted with history against England in the past. Tunisia came agonisingly close in 1990, while Cameroon famously pushed England to the brink in the quarter-finals of Italia '90, falling only in extra time.  

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