Senegal’s historic five-goal blitz breathes life into World Cup campaign
Senegal produced the perfect response to back-to-back World Cup defeats, beating 10-man Iraq 5-0 in Friday’s final Group I match to keep alive their hopes of reaching the round of 32 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
The Lions of Teranga knew that only a convincing win would give them a realistic chance of extending their campaign and so they achieved their biggest World Cup win to date in emphatic fashion. Habib Diarra opened the scoring ahead of Ismaila Sarra, substitute Pap Guey, who scored twice, and Iliman Ndiay for Toronto.
The win lifted Senegal into third place in Group I behind France and Norway, but Aliou Cisse’s side must now await their remaining group stage matches to see if their goal difference is enough to secure one of the top eight third-placed spots.
Senegal vs Iraq, FIFA World Cup 2026: Highlighting
IRAQ RED CARD
Senegal got off to an ideal start, taking the lead within four minutes.
Lamine Camara whipped in a dangerous corner that Abdoulaye Seck headed home. The ball glanced off Habib Diarra before slipping past Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil to give Senegal an early breakthrough.
Iraq’s task became even more difficult minutes later when defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a straight red card. The centre-back pulled down Sadio Mane on the edge of the area as the Senegalese captain raced through on goal. After a VAR review, referee Anthony Taylor sent Sulaku off, leaving Iraq to play more than 75 minutes with 10 men.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Iraq defended bravely for the remainder of the first half and frustrated Senegal, despite the African side enjoying the lion’s share of possession.
SECOND HALF BLITZ
Whatever was said in the Senegal dressing room had the desired effect.
The second half belonged exclusively Lions of Terangawhich flooded Iraq with wave after wave of attacks.
Ismaila Sarr doubled the advantage in the 56th minute when he finished from close range to score his fourth World Cup goal and become Senegal’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament. The winger also became the first Senegal player to score and assist in the same World Cup game.
Substitute Pape Gueye then stole the spotlight.
Introduced after starting Senegal’s opening two group games on the bench, Gueye announced himself with two sensational long-range strikes in a matter of minutes to put the contest beyond doubt. His brace made him the first Senegal player to score at least two goals as a substitute at the World Cup and strengthened his case for a starting role in the knockout rounds should Senegal advance.
There was still time for Iliman Ndiaye to cap the performance with another stunning long-range strike to ensure five separate moments of celebration for the sea of green-clad Senegal supporters at Toronto Stadium.
Remarkably, Sarr, Gueye and Ndiaye finished the match with both a goal and an assist, the first time three players from the same team have achieved this feat in a World Cup match since Germany’s famous 7-1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals.
HISTORY MADE
The five-goal haul made Senegal the first African nation to score five goals in a FIFA Men’s World Cup match, underscoring the extent of their achievement.
The emphatic win also significantly increased their goal difference as they climbed into the provisional qualification spots among the top third-placed teams. Whether that’s enough to earn a place in the Round of 32 will be clear when the remaining group stage matches are completed on Saturday.
Having entered the day with their World Cup hopes hanging in the balance, Senegal could hardly have done more. They produced stunning performances, rewrote the record books and kept their dream of reaching the knockouts alive.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
27 Jun 2026 04:01 IST