Senegal were eliminated from the World Cup yesterday as Aliou Cisse’s side were defeated 3-0 by England.
The Lions of Teranga started much the brighter side, causing England some real problems, but a moment of quality down the other end saw Jude Bellingham feed Jordan Henderson who slotted home the opener for Gareth Southgate’s men on 39 minutes.
From there the floodgates opened, as Harry Kane doubled the lead just before half-time, with Bukayo Saka scoring England’s third goal in the second half.
It was an unfortunate end to the tournament for Senegal, who won the hearts of many fans for their jubilant support of their team, even when times were tough.
After the match, Sadio Mane, who was ruled out of the World Cup with a knee injury before the tournament began, sent a message to his team mates about how proud he was of them.
On Instagram, Mane wrote: “Dear brothers, you have fallen into arms.
“The people are very proud of your journey and you have put the balm in the hearts of the Senegalese and all supporters by defending the national flag with dignity.
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“Continue learning and good luck. We will go in search of more trophies, Inshallah.”
With no Mane in Qatar, Senegal were missing a man who had scored 34 goals in 93 matches for his nation and six goals in 15 league matches for Bayern Munich this season.
Despite his absence, Senegal can certainly be proud of their journey as they hope to go one step further in 2026.
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