UNITED STATES — Senegal crushed Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I game to keep alive their bid to reach the knockout stage of the expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup, according to the match report.
The victory leaves the Teranga Lions on the cusp of progressing in a tournament whose format allows the eight best third-placed teams to advance. According to the report, no side in the World Cup’s 96-year history has ever recovered from two opening-group defeats to reach the knockouts, yet Senegal followed losses to France and Norway with this emphatic win.
Senegal opened the scoring in the fourth minute through Habib Diarra and gained a numerical advantage when Rebin Sulaka was sent off 11 minutes later for hauling down Sadio Mané. The second half proved decisive: Pape Gueye, introduced in the 67th minute, scored shortly after coming on and added a second later in the half, while Iliman Ndiaye struck from range eight minutes from time to complete the five-goal tally. Ismaïla Sarr also added his third of the tournament in the match. Senegal finished with 28 shots and 69 percent possession.
Head coach Pape Thiaw reshuffled his side before the game, bringing Abdoulaye Seck into central defence in place of Kalidou Koulibaly, dropping Nicolas Jackson and handing a start to teenager Ibrahim Mbaye. At 18 years and 153 days, Mbaye became the youngest Senegal player to start a World Cup match and the fifth youngest African to start at the tournament, according to the report. Ismail Jakobs started at left back and Habib Diarra was preferred in midfield ahead of Pape Gueye.
The report noted Iraq were out of their depth, particularly in the second half. Ranked 63rd in the world and making their first World Cup appearance in 40 years, Iraq reached the finals via the inter-confederation playoffs and would not have qualified without the expanded field, the report added.
Senegal also became the first African team to score five goals in a World Cup match and dramatically improved their goal difference, leaving them on the brink of qualification as the group stage concludes, according to the match report. The side were without goalkeeper Édouard Mendy after the ligament injury he sustained against Norway.
