Things couldn’t have gone much better for Senegal in the final group game of their Group I campaign as they steamrolled Iraq 5-0.
The game had barely started before the drama started to unfold. Early Senegalese pressure paid off when, after just four minutes, Habib Diarra got a flick to Abdoulaye Seck’s header to open the scoring.
If that early setback wasn’t enough for Iraq, the game was almost out of reach just nine minutes later when Rebin Sulaka was shown a red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity. The Iraqi defender pulled back Sadio Mane and, after a lengthy VAR review, was dismissed.
The rest of the first half, although controlled by Senegal, didn’t see much action but the second half saw the African nation spring to life.
Ismaila Sarr was able to double their advantage before four substitutions for Senegal turned the game even more in their favour. Pape Gueye scored a sensational double before Iliman Ndiaye added a fantastic effort of his own.
It’s a victory that all but assures Senegal will be playing knockout football, although they face an anxious wait to see if things go their way.
In this article we will cover:
Beautiful but sustainable?
The final three goals from Senegal were all visually beautiful. There were a couple of goal of the tournament contenders and there were strikes that broke 100kmh in speed.
But, at the same time, those beautiful goals aren’t sustainable. The three goals amounted to an xG of just 0.20. And, if Senegal do end up playing in the knockout stages, they won’t be able to recreate those moments on a regular basis.
That being said, the first two goals that Senegal scored showed the other side of their game. They were both scored from within the six yard box and amount to a total xG of 0.92. That’s quite the disparity.
If this proves to be Sengal’s final action in the 2026 World Cup then it was quite a way to sign off but, if they move forward, they won’t be able to rely on strikes from distance.
Is Pape Gueye the man to lead Senegal to success?
The game never really looked out of Senegal’s grasp. They were 1-0 up and one man up within 13 minutes, of course. But the 57th minute was when the match really changed.
Pape Gueye was brought on, along with three other Senegal players, and put in a performance that will have Senegal fans believing they can go much further in the competition…if given the chance.
It was a virtuoso performance from Gueye. He had 61 touches, completed 90% of his passes, had four touches of the ball in the opposition box and won three duels. That only scratches the surface of the impact he had, though.
In just over 30 minutes on the pitch he attempted six shots, provided one assist and score two (beautiful) goals. If we were giving out player ratings for this match, he would be as close to a 10 as possible.
It’s hard to argue that Pape Thiaw got anything wrong in his team selection, such was the domination that Senegal enjoyed, but you’ll find even less people arguing that Gueye shouldn’t be starting in the Round of 32 if the Lions of Teranga make it.
Gueye gave Senegal a reason to believe – now they wait for arithmetic to do the rest.
Is 5-0 enough?
It’s not an easy thing to get your head around but a 5-0 win in their final group game might not be enough to send Senegal through to the Round of 32.
They are almost there, though.
At the time of writing they sit in fifth spot in the third place rankings, with only three nations below them that would also qualify. The nature of the new system at this World Cup makes things a little tricky to work out but Senegal just need three outcomes to secure their place.
A win for Spain against Uruguay will help Senegal no end. Then, a victory for Egypt over Iran, coupled with a Belgium win or draw against New Zealand, would send the nation of Senegal into rapture.
It might be an anxious wait for everyone associated with the nation but things are lining up nicely for them to continue their progress in the competition.
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