Senegal took a huge step towards reaching the knockout rounds of the World Cup as they eased to an historic 5-0 win over 10-man Iraq in their final Group I game.
Like their opponents in Toronto, Senegal had suffered defeats to France and Noway in their opening two matches, leaving them needing victory by several goals to have a chance to reaching the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
They made an excellent start through Habib Diarra’s early goal, before their cause was aided by a red card for Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka.
Iraq were impressively resolute for the remainder of the first half, but Ismaila Sarr’s third goal of the tournament and a long-range stunner from Pape Gueye put the game beyond doubt and drastically improved Senegal’s prospects.
Gueye doubled his tally with a rasping second, before a superb individual effort from Illiman Ndiaye completed the rout in style.
Now with a plus-two goal difference, Senegal can likely look forward to a knockout clash after becoming the first African side to score five goals in a World Cup match.
Senegal hopes alive after thrashing Iraq
Diarra broke the deadlock in the fourth minute when he deflected Abdoulaye Seck’s header from Lamine Camara’s corner beyond Ahmed Basil.
Iraq’s faint hopes of claiming at least a point from the tournament were effectively dashed by Sulaka’s dismissal.
The defender was initially given a yellow card by Anthony Taylor for pulling back Sadio Mane as he attempted to go through on goal.
But, following a VAR review, Taylor reversed his decision and upgraded the punishment to a red, with only the fine reflexes of Basil preventing Mane from piling on the misery with the subsequent free-kick. The Iraq goalkeeper was injured making that save and was replaced by Jalal Hassan at half-time.
Former Liverpool star Mane was guilty of profligacy on several occasions as Senegal sought to double their lead, but Sarr made no mistake in the 56th minute by prodding home a simple finish from Camara’s pull back after Zidane Iqbal had been dispossessed just outside the area.
Gueye made it 3-0 just before the hour mark with his first involvement in the game, the substitute spectacularly bending into the top-left corner as Iraq were again punished for losing the ball inside their own half.
And the same man took advantage of increasingly haphazard Iraq defending to double his tally with a vicious 71st-minute strike.
Mane hit the post and substitute Nicolas Jackson was denied by Hassan, but there was nothing Iraq’s substitute goalkeeper could do as Ndiaye surged to the edge of the box and unleashed an unerring drive to make it 5-0.
While Iraq’s campaign ended with a whimper, Senegal will wait to see if their knockout place is confirmed as they seek to replicate the famous run to the quarter-finals in 2002.
