Senegal produced a stunning performance to defeat Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I match at the World Cup, played at Toronto Stadium on Friday. The win saw 'Les Lions de la Teranga' finish the group stage in third place with three points and a goal difference of +2.
Pape Gueye was the hero of the match, scoring two superb long-range goals in the second half. Ismaila Sarr also added his third goal of the tournament, while Habib Diarra opened the scoring in the fourth minute and Iliman Ndiaye sealed the victory with a long-range strike in the 82nd minute.
Senegal took an early lead with a goal from the start, but the match became more challenging when Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka was sent off in the 13th minute for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Referee Anthony Taylor initially showed a yellow card but upgraded it to a straight red after consulting the VAR monitor.
Despite having a man advantage, Senegal could not capitalize for the remainder of the first half. However, everything changed after the break. Lamine Camara cut the ball across the goalmouth for Sarr to easily tap into an empty net in the 56th minute.
Gueye came on immediately after Sarr's goal and quickly made an impact. In the 59th minute, he received the ball from Sarr, dribbled to his left, and unleashed a curling shot that left goalkeeper Ahmed Basil with no chance. In the 71st minute, Gueye struck again with a powerful half-volley from Ndiaye's pass, doubling his tally.
With this result, Senegal now hold the fifth-best record among third-placed teams, although four other teams have yet to play their final matches. Meanwhile, Iraq lost all three group matches and are officially eliminated from their second World Cup in history, their first since 1986.
