The friendly football match between England and Senegal at the City Ground in Nottingham kicked off later than planned because the visiting team took an extended amount of time to leave their dressing room.
The game was originally scheduled to start at 7:45 pm, but it did not get underway until 7:50 pm. This delay was reportedly due to Pape Thiaw`s side being slow to emerge and line up in the tunnel.
ITV commentator Sam Matterface, broadcasting live from the City Ground, commented on the situation, stating: “Welcome to the City Ground in Nottingham where we await the arrival of the Senegalese players who have eventually been coaxed out of the dressing room by French official Stephanie Frappart.” He added that they appeared “Three-and-a-half minutes after they were supposed to emerge.”
The “Lions of Teranga” were eventually led out by their captain, former Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly. The starting lineup for Senegal included several players with Premier League connections, past and present, such as Edouard Mendy, Idrissa Gueye, Moussa Niakhate, Iliman Ndiaye, Ismaila Sarr, and Nicolas Jackson. Sadio Mané, however, was not featured.
Despite the delayed start, England got off to a quick start. Within seven minutes, Eberechi Eze won the ball back and found Conor Gallagher on the edge of the box. Anthony Gordon`s low shot was parried by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy directly into the path of Harry Kane, who easily converted the rebound for his record-extending 73rd goal for the Three Lions.
However, the match took a turn for the worse for England as Senegal mounted a strong comeback, scoring three goals to secure a memorable 3-1 victory. Jude Bellingham`s late effort, which he believed was an equalizer, was controversially disallowed by VAR before Senegal netted their third goal on the counter-attack to seal the win.
