Senegal boss Pape Thiaw praised his sides second-half improvements after they routed 10-man Iraq 5-0 to keep their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout rounds alive. The Lions of Teranga were left needing to win by several goals to stand a chance of qualifying as one of the eight best third-placed teams after starting their Group I campaign with defeats to France and Norway. An early goal from Habib Diarra saw Senegal make an excellent start, before Iraq defender Rebin Sulaka was sent off following a VAR review for pulling back Sadio Mane.Senegal were unable to immediately make the most of their numerical advantage, but the floodgates opened after Ismaila Sarrs third goal of the tournament in the 56th minute. Two stunning strikes from Pape Gueye and a brilliant long-range effort from Iliman Ndiaye turned the game into an historic rout, with Senegal in a strong spot to reach the round of 32 after becoming the first African side to score five goals in a game at the World Cup. They sit fifth in the ranking of third-placed teams, with a goal difference of plus-two that is likely to be enough to keep them in the top eight.We really wanted to win, and especially score more goals, Thiaw said. Today, with this 5-0 victory, I think its deserved. The team was able to manage the game well.It was not easy at first, because we were facing a direct competitor who was also playing for qualification. They caused us problems and we sometimes lacked technical accuracy, with haste in our choices. At half-time, we corrected some things. By playing higher up the pitch and applying more pressure in their half, we controlled the game better.Now, qualification no longer depends on us. We did the job, what was needed. We have to wait for the other matches and hope to qualify. Topics 2026 FIFA World Cup iraq national football team Senegal National Football Team Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Senegal 5-0 Iraq: Lions of Teranga take huge step towards knockouts with historic win Nicholas McGee 26th June, 2026 WATCH: Senegal take early lead before Iraq reduced to 10 in crucial Group I clash Nicholas McGee 26th June, 2026 LIVE Senegal v Iraq: Commentary, updates, goals and stats Jon Fisher 26th June, 2026 Jordan v Argentina: World Cup 2026 line-ups, stats and preview, TV channel, live online stream and prediction Ben Miller 26th June, 2026 Senegal v Iraq: Confirmed team news with Jackson dropped as African giants go in search of unlikely qualification Jon Fisher 26th June, 2026 Panama v England: World Cup 2026 line-ups, stats and preview, TV channel, live online stream and prediction Ben Miller 26th June, 2026
