England vs Senegal: Why Sadio Mane Refused to Play International Friendly

• Senegal stunned England in an international friendly on June 10 without their brightest star, Sadio Mane
• The former Liverpool man requested to skip the game at City Ground and the one-all draw against Ireland on Friday
• In his absence, Ismailla Sarr, Habib Diarra and Cheikh Sabaly scored a goal apiece as the Teranga Lions got a memorable win

Senegal became the first African country ever to beat England in a football match as they mauled them 3-1 at Nottingham Forest's City Ground on Tuesday evening.

How Senegal beat England in Nottingham

The Three Lions were once again dour as they offered little to no resistance to a rampant Senegalese side, who had to come from behind to record the historic win.

Harry Kane opened the scoring inside six minutes as the skipper was the first to react after Edouard Mendy spilt an Anthony Gordon shot at goal.

That lead was cancelled out five minutes from halftime after Nicolas Jackson set up Ismailla Sarr on the other end to restore parity.

The Teranga Lions came back from the break as a rejuvenated side as they sliced through the hosts like hot peanut butter. Habib Diarra beat Dean Henderson at his near post to score Senegal's second.

With time ticking away, England thought they had gotten a lifeline after substitute Jude Bellingham scored from close range, but referee Stephanie Frappart disallowed the goal for a Levi Colwill handball in the buildup.

Cheikh Sabaly completed the rout with a goal in stoppage time to hand Thomas Tuchel his first defeat since he was appointed England's boss.

Even more impressive for Senegal was that they got the win without arguably the biggest star their country has ever produced. Sadio Mane was a conspicuous absentee from Pape Thiaw's squad in Nottingham.

Why Sadio Mane didn't play against England

The former Liverpool man requested not to be included for the games against Ireland and England due to a heartbreaking reason.

As Talk Sport reports, Mane asked to be excluded after he faced a barrage of criticism during the March friendlies, where he failed to score.

The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winners drew against Sudan before beating Togo 2-0 in the race to qualify for next year's World Cup in the United States.

"A lot is said about me, and I think I'm the most criticised player in Senegal. I don't have a problem with it. Everyone is free to give their opinion. But there must be better things to do than criticise Sadio Mane. What does it even get you?" he said after the game.

It is the second game against England that the Al-Nassr star has missed. The two countries clashed in the Round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Mane missed that game then, due to an ankle injury he had sustained shortly after ditching Liverpool for Bayern Munich.

Will Senegal qualify for World Cup 2026?

The results in March left them in a precarious position as two other teams are vying for a direct ticket to the North American tournament next year.

The Democratic Republic of Congo lead Group B with 13 points, with both Senegal and Sudan just one point behind. The Teranga Lions next play their opponents in back-to-back games. Only the first place gets a direct ticket while number best-placed number twos head into a play-off.

Sadio Mane's stats this season

The 33-year-old has struggled to replicate the star he was while at Liverpool. His stint at Bayern Munich didn't turn out as expected, and he was quickly sold to Al-Nassr.

In Saudi Arabia, he has had to operate in the shadows of Cristiano Ronaldo. Mane scored 18 goals and provided 14 assists across all competitions as captured by Transfermarkt.

Andre Onana enjoys street football in Cameroon

In a separate report, Andre Onana was spotted playing village football in Cameroon.

The embattled Manchester United goalkeeper is back home for the holidays after a difficult season. The Red Devils finished 15th in the league and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.

Onana could be replaced this summer with reports indicating that United are looking at at least two goalkeepers.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke