Senegal Thrash 10-Man Iraq 5-0 To Keep World Cup Knockout Hopes Alive

Senegal produced a dominant display to thrash 10-man Iraq 5-0 in Toronto, keeping their hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup last 32 firmly alive.

The emphatic victory saw the Lions of Teranga finish third in Group I with three points, lifting them to fifth in the standings among the tournament’s third-placed teams. However, Pape Thiaw’s side must now rely on results elsewhere to determine whether they secure one of the eight knockout places reserved for the best third-placed finishers.

Having suffered defeats to France and Norway in their opening two matches, Senegal responded in emphatic fashion with a near-flawless performance against an Iraqi side reduced to 10 men early in the contest.

The result also dealt a significant blow to Scotland’s qualification hopes, pushing them down to ninth in the rankings of third-placed teams, with only the top eight progressing to the knockout stage.

Senegal made the perfect start, taking the lead after just four minutes. Defender Abdoulaye Seck rose highest to meet a corner, with his header taking a decisive deflection off midfielder Habib Diarra before wrong-footing Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

Iraq’s afternoon went from bad to worse in the 13th minute when defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a straight red card following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Referee Anthony Taylor ruled that Sulaka had denied Sadio Mané a clear goalscoring opportunity by pulling him down on the edge of the penalty area.

Although Mané forced Basil into a save from the resulting free-kick, Senegal were unable to add to their advantage before half-time despite dominating possession and territory.

The floodgates finally opened after the interval.

In the 56th minute, former Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal surrendered possession on the edge of his own penalty area, allowing Lamine Camara to square the ball for Ismaïla Sarr, who calmly slotted home Senegal’s second goal.

Just three minutes later, substitute Pape Gueye made an immediate impact, curling a superb left-footed strike into the top corner to extend the lead.

The Villarreal midfielder doubled his tally in the 71st minute with another stunning long-range effort, leaving Iraq with no route back into the contest.

Fellow substitute Iliman Ndiaye completed the rout late on, finishing clinically to seal a resounding 5-0 victory.

Despite the convincing win, Senegal’s fate remains out of their hands. They must now await the conclusion of the remaining group-stage fixtures, hoping their superior goal difference will be enough to earn one of the coveted places in the last 32.

For Iraq, the heavy defeat brought a disappointing end to their World Cup campaign, as an early red card and a second-half collapse proved too much to overcome.