Senegal delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over a 10-man Iraq in Toronto on Friday, significantly improving their chances of advancing to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 while eliminating Iraq from contention.
Early Lead and Red Card
Senegal made a flying start, opening the scoring in the fourth minute. Abdoulaye Seck's header from a corner took a decisive deflection off Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra, wrong-footing Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil. Iraq's task became significantly harder nine minutes later when defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a straight red card after pulling back Sadio Mane on the edge of the box. The decision was confirmed following a VAR review for denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. Mane tested Basil from the resulting free-kick, but Senegal could not add a second goal in the first half despite their numerical advantage.
Second-Half Dominance
The breakthrough came in the 56th minute after Zidane Iqbal was dispossessed on the edge of his own box, allowing Lamine Camara to set up Ismaila Sarr for a simple finish to make it 2-0. Three minutes later, Senegal extended their lead spectacularly as substitute Pape Gueye curled a stunning left-foot strike into the top corner with his first involvement after coming on. Gueye struck again in the 71st minute with a powerful long-range effort to complete a quickfire brace. Another substitute, Iliman Ndiaye, added the fifth in the 82nd minute to round off a commanding performance.
Impact on Standings
The result leaves Senegal in a strong position to progress, with their superior goal difference potentially proving decisive in the race for qualification. Iraq, meanwhile, saw their hopes of reaching the later stage of the tournament ended. The match was played at Toronto's stadium, with Senegal's dominant display underscoring their attacking depth and defensive solidity.
According to ANI, the victory was a crucial step for Senegal as they aim to advance beyond the group stage. The team's performance highlighted the contributions of key players like Sadio Mane and the impact of substitutes such as Pape Gueye, who scored twice after coming off the bench.
