Senegal gave themselves the best chance of finishing as one of the World Cup’s top eight third-placed teams as they thumped five past 10-man Iraq.
After both teams lost to France and Norway in their first two Group I matches, only a win – and by a significant margin – would be enough to keep hopes of progression alive. The Lions of Teranga understood the assignment and went on to record the biggest win by an African nation at a World Cup.
As things stand, with just 11 group games left to be played, they are set to meet England in the round of 32.
Pape Thiaw’s side got off to a flyer in Toronto. They took the lead inside four minutes when Sunderland’s Habib Diarra got the telling touch on Abdoulaye Seck’s header and gained another advantage.
Rebin Sulaka pulled Sadio Mane to ground 20 yards out and was initially shown a yellow card. But referee Anthony Taylor went to the monitor and, after review, upgraded the card to a red on the basis Sulaka denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Ismaila Sarr scored his third goal of the tournament
Iraq’s double blow made them only the second team in World Cup history to concede a goal and receive a red card inside the opening 15 minutes of a match, after Colombia vs Japan in 2018.
But they brought on Munaf Younus to return to full compliment at the back – and, aside from a Mane free-kick that was brilliantly pushed to safety by Basil, Senegal barely laid a glove for the rest of the half.
Iraq held firm for 10 minutes after the break, but substitute goalkeeper Jalal Hassan was then beaten twice in three minutes as Crystal Palace’s Ismaila Sarr tapped in Lamine Camara’s pull-back, before Pape Gueye curled in an absolute beauty a mere 89 seconds after his introduction.
Gueye helped himself to a thunderous second, which reached a top speed of 132km per hour, and shortly after Sadio Mane hit the bar with a looping effort, Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye added the gloss with another cracker that left Hassan with no chance.
The key moments from Toronto…
- 4: GOAL! Habib Diarra gets the final touch on Abdoulaye Seck’s goalbound header to put Senegal in front.
- 13: RED CARD! After a VAR review, Iraq’s Rebin Sulaka is sent off for bringing down Sadio Mane and denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
- 56: GOAL! Ismaila Sarr fires in Lamine Camara’s cut-back after a mistake by Zidane Iqbal.
- 59: GOAL! Just 89 seconds after his introduction, Pape Gueye curls in a beauty to extend Senegal’s lead.
- 71: GOAL! Gueye thumps in his second, which reaches a top speed of 132km per hour.
- 75: OFF THE POST! Sadio Mane rattles the right-hand upright with a looping shot.
- 82: GOAL! Iliman Ndiaye gets in on the act after running 20 yards and thumping another cracker home.
What the result means…
Analysis: Senegal’s emphatic showing comes at perfect time
Sky Sports’ Dan Long:
Senegal knew they needed to win big in Toronto in order to give themselves the best chance of reaching the knockout stages, but there was little sign of that happening when the half-time whistle was blown.
They were a goal and a man up on Iraq, but it was hard to tell with the way they struggled to test Graham Arnold’s side, despite their obvious advantages.
Iraq’s resolve was finally broken 10 minutes into the second half, though, and the game was done by the hour mark. Further brilliant strikes from Pape Gueye and Iliman Ndiaye just added the gloss.
Nothing is set in stone yet, but it will be by Sunday morning in the UK and it would take some upturn to displace Pape Thiaw’s side from the top eight. And what better way to enter the knockout stages than with such an emphatic win.
However, finishing third means, if they do qualify, they will face the winner of a group, so similar attacking intent would be of paramount importance.
Leave a Reply