Senegal 5-0 Iraq: Senegal roar back to life in Group I
If you slept through this 3am kickoff in Singapore, you missed a rout but not a thriller. Senegal dismantled an Iraq side reduced to ten men inside the opening quarter-hour, racing to a five-goal win that revives their hopes in a brutally tight Group I. A demolition for the highlight reel, but the contest itself was effectively over before sunrise back home.
Final score: Senegal 5-0 Iraq — kick-off was Saturday 27 June 2026, 3:00 AM Singapore time at Toronto.
The storylines
Senegal needed this. After painful defeats to France and Norway left them rooted near the foot of Group I, Pape Thiaw's side responded with the emphatic statement their tournament demanded. Habib Diarra struck inside four minutes to settle nerves, and once Iraq lost a man the floodgates were always likely to open. Five different scoring moments later, Senegal not only banked three precious points but repaired a goal difference that could decide who survives this group.
Iraq's night unravelled in the thirteenth minute. Rebin Sulaka's dismissal forced a reorganisation no team wants against opponents of Senegal's pace and quality, and the visitors spent over an hour chasing shadows. Already beaten by Norway and France, Iraq arrive at the bottom of Group I with nothing to show from three matches. This was damage limitation that became damage compounded, their qualification aspirations now hanging by the thinnest of threads in Toronto.
Pape Gueye was the headline act, twice finding the net either side of the hour to turn a comfortable lead into a procession. Ismaila Sarr opened the second-half scoring, and Iliman Ndiaye applied gloss late on. The spread of contributors will please Thiaw most: when goals arrive from across the side, momentum becomes contagious. From a position of genuine peril, Senegal suddenly look reborn, and the rest of Group I has been put on notice.
The tactical battle
The sending-off reshaped everything. Down to ten from the thirteenth minute, Iraq were compelled to sit deep and absorb, surrendering the midfield where Pape Gueye and company dictated tempo at will. Senegal's full-backs pushed high, stretching a stretched defence until it snapped after the interval. With numerical superiority and superior individual quality, Thiaw's men simply tightened the screw, working the ball wide and exploiting the spaces an undermanned, retreating Iraq could never hope to cover.
Players to watch
- Pape Gueye (Senegal) — Scored twice either side of the hour, driving the midfield and turning control into a rout.
- Habib Diarra (Senegal) — His fourth-minute opener set the tone and calmed early nerves for a side under pressure.
- Iliman Ndiaye (Senegal) — Capped the scoring late, underlining the depth of Senegal's attacking threat.
What's at stake
France lead Group I on nine points with Norway second on six, leaving Senegal third on three and very much alive again. Iraq sit bottom on zero from three, their hopes now reliant on results elsewhere. For Senegal, this win and the goals that came with it could prove decisive should the group go to fine margins.
Key moments
- Habib Diarra opens the scoring inside four minutes
- Rebin Sulaka sent off for Iraq on 13 minutes
- Ismaila Sarr and Pape Gueye strike in quick succession after the break
- Pape Gueye's second on 71' makes it four
- Iliman Ndiaye completes the rout on 82'
FAQ
What time is Senegal vs Iraq in Singapore? Saturday 27 June 2026, 3:00 AM Singapore time (SGT).
Where is Senegal vs Iraq being played? At Toronto.
What is the head-to-head record between Senegal and Iraq? Both nations arrived in Toronto bruised by earlier results, but Senegal's quality and Iraq's early red card made this a one-sided meeting from the opening exchanges.