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

Senegal kept their FIFA World Cup knockout hopes alive with a commanding 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq in their final Group I match on Friday.

The emphatic win saw the Lions of Teranga finish third in the group on three points and move up to fifth in the ranking of third-placed teams. However, their qualification for the round of 32 will depend on results in the remaining group matches.

Senegal made a dream start in Toronto, taking the lead after just four minutes when Abdoulaye Seck’s header from a corner deflected off Habib Diarra and beat Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.

Iraq’s task became even more difficult in the 13th minute after defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a straight red card for bringing down Sadio Mane on the edge of the penalty area. Referee Anthony Taylor upgraded the offence to a dismissal following a VAR review for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Despite their numerical advantage, Senegal had to wait until the second half to extend their lead. Ismaila Sarr made it 2-0 in the 56th minute after capitalising on a costly error by Zidane Iqbal.

Substitute Pape Gueye struck twice, scoring in the 59th and 71st minutes, while fellow substitute Iliman Ndiaye completed the rout with Senegal’s fifth goal.

The convincing victory significantly boosted Senegal’s goal difference as they await the outcome of other matches to determine whether they progress to the knockout stage.