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| Senegal defeated Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I FIFA World Cup match at Toronto Stadium, keeping their Round of 32 hopes alive with a dominant performance. |
Senegal kept their FIFA World Cup knockout hopes alive after defeating Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I match at Toronto Stadium. The victory lifted Senegal into fifth place in the best third-placed teams standings, leaving the team with a chance to advance to the Round of 32.
Senegal made an immediate impact, opening the scoring in the fourth minute through Habib Diarra, who converted from close range following a corner kick and a headed assist by Abdoulaye Seck.
Iraq's situation worsened in the 13th minute when defender Rebin Sulaka received a straight red card for bringing down Sadio Mane as the last defender.
Despite playing with a numerical advantage for most of the match, Senegal had to wait until the second half to extend their lead. Ismaila Sarr doubled the advantage in the 56th minute after Lamine Camara won possession from Zidane Iqbal and delivered a pass across goal.
Only three minutes later, substitute Pape Gueye produced a stunning left-footed strike from outside the penalty area to make it 3-0.
Gueye scored again in the 71st minute with another powerful long-range effort before Iliman Ndiaye completed the scoring in the 82nd minute with an impressive finish from just outside the box.
Senegal dominated throughout the match, recording 28 shots and generating an expected goals (xG) total of 3.03. Iraq managed only six attempts with an xG of 0.18.
The emphatic victory came after Senegal suffered consecutive defeats to France and Norway in Group I. While a top-two finish was no longer possible, the win kept the team's hopes of qualifying as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams alive.
Pape Gueye made an immediate impact after coming off the bench, becoming the first Senegal player to score at least two goals as a substitute in a FIFA World Cup match.
Meanwhile, Ismaila Sarr strengthened his position as Senegal's all-time leading World Cup scorer with four goals. Iliman Ndiaye also continued his strong tournament by contributing another goal after entering as a substitute.
Senegal currently sit fifth in the best third-placed teams table. If they secure qualification for the Round of 32, they are projected to face England in Atlanta on July 1.
The victory also marked a historic milestone, as Senegal became the first African nation to score five goals in a single FIFA World Cup match.
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