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England captain has admitted that his side were not good enough in the defeat to Senegal
England captain Harry Kane delivered a frank assessment of his side’s performance following a 3-1 defeat to Senegal on Tuesday evening, as the former African champions handed the Three Lions a rare home loss at the City Ground.
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What happened
Despite Kane giving England an early lead with his 73rd international goal, extending his record as the country’s all-time top scorer, the hosts were undone by a sharp and disciplined Senegalese side that became the first African nation to beat England in 22 matches.
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Senegal equalised before halftime and went ahead midway through the second half, with England struggling to regain its rhythm. A late strike from Jude Bellingham that looked to level the game was disallowed due to a handball in the build-up.
What Kane said
Reflecting after the game, the Bayern Munich striker did not shy away from criticism.
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“Simply put, we weren’t at the level we needed to be,” Kane said.
He continued, “There were patches where we looked decent, but overall, we didn’t control the game well enough — with or without the ball.”
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“We’re missing that edge. Too many one-on-one battles lost, not enough urgency in our play, and when that happens against a strong opponent, you get punished — and we did,” he added.
He said further, “If that one stands, it’s 2-2 and who knows — maybe we go on to win it. But it’s down to the officials, and it’s one of those decisions that changes the momentum.”
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“We’re not going to overreact, but we’re also not going to ignore the fact that there’s work to do. We’ve got new faces, some adjusting to the international stage, and a new system under the manager — but excuses don’t win games," he added.
The defeat came just days after a narrow 1-0 win over Andorra in World Cup qualifying, a match that also exposed some fragility in England’s recent form.
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