The substitute Pape Gueye scored a pair of sensational second-half goals from long range as Senegal got a much-needed boost to their goal difference with a 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq in their Group I finale
Ismaïla Sarr added his third goal of the tournament, the first of four after half-time for the Lions of Teranga, who sealed a third-place group finish and are vying for one of the eight third-place spots in the last 32
Senegal currently hold the fifth-best record of third-place sides based on their +2 goal difference, but four of the teams beneath them have yet to play their final group matches
Habib Diarra opened the scoring in the fourth minute while it was still XI against XI, and Iliman Ndiaye wrapped it up with his own long-range effort in the 82nd minute
The result meant that Iraq were eliminated from their second World Cup and first since 1986. They were underdogs from kick-off but the prospect of their first World Cup points grew more remote when the referee, Anthony Taylor, dismissed Rebin Sulaka for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity in the 13th minute
Taylor initially brandished a yellow card after Sadio Mané dribbled past Sulaka, who hauled him back with an outstretched arm. But Taylor was summoned to consult a video monitor and, after viewing the play again, upgraded the decision to a red card
Senegal couldn’t capitalise during a frustrating remainder of the first half, but that all changed after the interval
Lamine Camara set up Sarr’s 56th-minute goal to begin the second-half onslaught, forcing an Iraq turnover in their own box, dribbling to the byline, then cutting a low cross back for the Crystal Palace forward to tap into an open goal
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Gueye entered immediately after Sarr’s contribution and soon made his own impact. Just before the hour mark, he took Sarr’s pass near the right corner of the box, dribbled to his left and then unleashed a left-footed strike that curled beyond the diving Jalal Hassan on its way into the top corner
In the 71st minute, Gueye ran on to Ndiaye’s bouncing pass and struck a thunderous half-volley that barely gave Hassan time to move before it bulged the back of the net
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