Senegal’s decisive win in Toronto
Senegal achieved a significant 5-0 victory against Iraq in their final World Cup Group I match in Toronto. This result has substantially improved their prospects of advancing to the knockout stages as one of the top eight third-placed teams. The win also marked the largest victory by an African nation in a World Cup.
The match saw Pape Gueye score two goals, with Habib Diarra, Ismaila Sarr, and Iliman Ndiaye each contributing one. This emphatic performance came after both teams had previously lost to France and Norway in their initial two Group I fixtures, making a substantial win crucial for progression.
Early advantage and key moments
Pape Thiaw’s side took an early lead within four minutes when Habib Diarra made the decisive touch on Abdoulaye Seck’s header. This marked Diarra’s first international goal since a friendly match against England last year. Shortly after, Iraq’s hopes were further diminished when defender Rebin Sulaka received a red card in the 13th minute.
The red card incident occurred after Sulaka brought down Sadio Mane, denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. Referee Anthony Taylor, after consulting the VAR monitor, upgraded the initial yellow card to a red. This made Iraq only the second team in World Cup history to concede a goal and receive a red card within the opening 15 minutes of a match, following the Colombia versus Japan game in 2018. This was also reported as the earliest red card of the nine in the World Cup so far, and the fourth fastest in the tournament’s history.
Despite the numerical advantage, Senegal struggled to significantly test Iraq’s goalkeeper for the remainder of the first half, with Iraq bringing on Munaf Younus to bolster their defence. Sadio Mane had a free-kick brilliantly saved by Basil, but Senegal largely failed to create further clear-cut chances.
Second-half surge and goal spree
The second half saw a revitalised Senegal. Iraq had to replace their goalkeeper Ahmed Basil with Jalal Hassan at halftime due to an injury. Hassan initially withstood the pressure, but Senegal broke through 10 minutes into the second half.
Ismaila Sarr scored in the 56th minute, tapping in Lamine Camara’s cut-back following an error by Zidane Iqbal. This was Sarr’s third goal of the tournament. Just 89 seconds after his introduction, substitute Pape Gueye curled in a goal from outside the box in the 59th minute, extending Senegal’s lead to 3-0.
Gueye then scored his second goal with a powerful strike that reportedly reached a top speed of 132km per hour. Shortly after, Sadio Mane hit the bar with a looping effort. Iliman Ndiaye sealed the victory with another goal, running 20 yards before striking the ball home, leaving Hassan with no chance. Iraq’s coach, Graham Arnold, was observed reacting to the goals with visible disappointment.
The result means Senegal currently holds the best goal difference among teams with three points, significantly boosting their chances of progressing. While nothing is definitively confirmed yet, their strong performance positions them favourably. If they qualify, they are currently set to meet England in the round of 32.
Iraq, on the other hand, concluded their campaign without earning any points.
Read Also
Source: skysports.com
