Senegal dismantled Iraq 5-0 in Toronto on Friday, a victory that kept their World Cup campaign breathing and condemned the Asian side to a third straight defeat. The match turned decisively in the opening quarter-hour. Habib Diarra flicked home Abdoulaye Seck’s header from a corner after just four minutes, and nine minutes later Iraq were reduced to ten men when defender Rebin Sulaka was sent off for pulling down Sadio Mané as the forward bore down on goal. English referee Anthony Taylor upgraded his initial yellow card after a VAR review, ruling it a denial of a clear goal-scoring opportunity.

Iraq, already beaten heavily by Norway and France, defended doggedly for the remainder of the half, but their resistance crumbled after the break. Ismaila Sarr tapped in a second goal in the 56th minute after a defensive error by Zidane Iqbal, and substitute Pape Gueye then took over. The Villarreal midfielder, on the pitch for only 89 seconds, curled a left-footed shot into the top corner to make it 3-0, and added a vicious half-volley twelve minutes later. Iliman Ndiaye completed the rout with a powerful drive from distance in the 82nd minute. Senegal’s five-goal haul was the largest by an African side in a single World Cup match.

Both teams had entered the contest pointless, but Senegal’s superior goal difference meant a big win could vault them into the group of eight best third-placed teams that advance to the round of 32. The result lifted Senegal to three points and a plus-two goal difference, placing them provisionally among the qualifiers. Iraq, by contrast, departed the tournament with no points, one goal scored and twelve conceded, their first World Cup appearance since 1986 ending in disappointment. In the Indonesian press, the fixture had been billed as a “life-and-death” encounter, while Brazilian broadcasters underscored the historic margin of victory.

Senegal must now wait for the remaining group-stage matches to learn their fate. Their progression depends on results in Groups G, H, J, K and L, with Scotland among the sides directly threatened by the African team’s surge. For a side that lost narrowly to France and Norway, the emphatic win offered a measure of redemption and kept alive the possibility of a first knockout appearance since 2002. The final verdict will arrive by the weekend.