- Senegal defeated Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I match
- The Lions became the first African team to score five goals in a World Cup game
- The victory keeps Senegal’s hopes of reaching the Round of 32 alive
Senegal made FIFA World Cup history on Friday after becoming the first African team to score five goals in a single World Cup match, thrashing Iraq 5-0 in their final Group I encounter at the 2026 tournament.
Eko Hot Blog gathered that the emphatic victory at Toronto Stadium kept Senegal’s hopes of reaching the Round of 32 alive as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams. After opening defeats to France and Norway, the Lions of Teranga needed a convincing win and produced their best World Cup performance yet.
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Habib Diarra put Senegal ahead just four minutes into the match, setting the tone for a dominant display.
Iraq’s task became even more difficult shortly afterwards when defender Rebin Sulaka was sent off after a VAR review upgraded his yellow card to a straight red for denying Sadio Mané a clear scoring opportunity.
Although Iraqi goalkeeper Ahmed Basil produced several saves before the interval to keep the scoreline respectable, Senegal took complete control after the restart.
Ismaila Sarr doubled the advantage in the 56th minute, tapping in from close range after a well-worked move involving Lamine Camara. Substitute Pape Gueye then stole the spotlight with a stunning long-range strike before adding his second goal of the evening in the 71st minute with another powerful effort.
Illiman Ndiaye completed the scoring eight minutes from time with an impressive solo run before firing a fierce shot beyond substitute goalkeeper Hassan.
Ndiaye’s goal sealed a historic achievement, making Senegal the first African nation to score five times in a World Cup fixture since the tournament began.
The result lifted Senegal to a positive goal difference of +2 as they now await the outcome of other groups to discover whether they qualify for the knockout stage among the best third-placed teams.
For Iraq, the defeat ended a disappointing return to the World Cup, with the team finishing bottom of Group I after earlier losses to France and Norway.
Beyond boosting Senegal’s qualification hopes, the victory marked a significant milestone for African football, underlining the continent’s growing impact on the global stage with a record-breaking performance.
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