Source : the age
Senegal kept their World Cup knockout hopes alive in dominant fashion on Friday with a 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq, who were eliminated from the tournament.
Survival was on the line as both sides entered the match needing to win, preferably by a large margin, to stay in the hunt for one of the last eight spots in the round of 32.
Senegal struck in the fourth minute after Lamine Camara hooked a corner into the box and Abdoulaye Seck’s downward header grazed off the boot of teammate Habib Diarra to send the ball up and over Iraq keeper Ahmed Basil.
More trouble followed for Iraq when defender Rebin Sulaka pulled a goalward-bound Sadio Mane down on the edge of the box. After a VAR check for a possible red card, Sulaka was given his marching orders by English referee Anthony Taylor.
France forward Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat trick, including one off a pass from Kylian Mbappe, to help his team beat Norway 4-1 at the World Cup on Friday.
Dembele’s goals came in the 7th, 20th, and 32nd minutes. It was the first first-half hat trick at the World Cup since Russia forward Oleg Salenko scored three of his five goals in the opening 45 minutes against Cameroon at the 1994 tournament, also in the US.
Desire Doue scored France’s final goal in second-half injury time.
Dembele, who has now scored four goals at this year’s World Cup, left the game in the 65th minute.
Senegal fans wanted that to last forever, while Iraqi fans were relieved to hear that final whistle.
It’s all over in Toronto, and Senegal have recorded a 5-0 win in a one-sided match. As soon as Iraq went down to 10 players, an already difficult job became a near-impossible task.
Senegal are well in the running to make it through to the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
Full-time: Senegal 5 -0 Iraq
France aren’t finished yet. There are five minutes of additional time at the end of this match and in the fourth, Desire Doue gets another goal for France.
He receives the ball after a cross from Bradley Barcola and then heads it into the bottom-right corner of the box.
The match will end with that scoreline, a 4-1 win over Norway to close out a brilliant group stage for a team who are what many consider to be tournament favourites.
France 4-1 Norway, full-time
That’s five goals now for Senegal, and the fifth was every bit as good as the previous two from Papa Gueye.
This time it was Iliman Ndiaye with a powerful strike that left Iraq’s substitute keeper Jalal Hassan clutching at thin air.
The last three goals from Senegal have been as good a trio as you’d ever hope to see. Iraqi fans might not like this highlight reel, but everyone else will.
Senegal 5-0 Iraq, 84 minutes
That’s two stunning goals in 12 minutes from Senegal substitute Papa Gueye. After finding himself unmarked at the top of the penalty box, he blasted the ball home with a shot that no keeper in the world would have saved.
Pure entertainment aside, what those goals have done is drastically boost Senegal’s standing on the table of teams battling to reach the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Senegal now have a goal difference of +1. That could well be enough.
Senegal 4-0 Iraq, 75 minutes
After a horrible mix-up at the back from the Iraqi defence, Ismaila Sarr was presented with a relatively simple tap-in to give his side a second goal.
Then, within three minutes or so of play resuming, substitute Pape Gueye produced a stunning strike with his first touch to make the lead 3-0. You’ll see that goal replayed numerous times in the coming days.
Gueye had been on the field for a total of 89 seconds before he produced a piece of magic.
If Iraq don’t regain their composure, this could quickly get further out of hand.
Senegal 3-0 Iraq, 59 minutes
Things are looking up for Norway already when they win a penalty just three minutes after the match restarts for the second half.
It’s conceded by Theo Hernandez who leaves his leg out in front of Oscar Bobb without making contact with the ball and trips Bobb in the process.
Without Haaland or Martin Odegaard, the penalty is taken by Jorgen Strand Larsen. He lines up, makes a slow run and hits the ball with his right foot aiming for the bottom-right corner of the goal, but it’s saved by Mike Maignan who pushes it away!
That looked too easy for Maignan and France are making Norway look like small fry.
France 3-1 Norway, 50 minutes
Both matches have returned after the half-time break. Senegal are looking to score more goals against just 10 Iraq men to improve their chance of qualifying as a best third-placed team, while Norway may try to get some back against France.
If you’re up this early, let us know which match you’re watching:
