Senegal's World Cup campaign has received a significant boost following their 5-0 thrashing of ten-man Iraq in their final Group I match at Toronto Stadium.
The African side, who were in need of a win to keep their hopes of qualifying for the round of 32 alive, dominated the match from start to finish. Ilimand Ndiaye and Ismaila Sarr were instrumental in the victory, with the former scoring a goal and providing an assist, while the latter netted a goal and laid on two assists for his teammates.
The result sees Senegal move to 10 points from six matches, with a chance of finishing as one of the top eight third-placed teams in the tournament. The Senegalese side will be relying on the outcome of other matches to see if they can progress to the next stage.
'We played a great game, and we deserved the win,' said Senegal manager, Aliou Cissé, in a post-match interview. 'We showed great determination and resilience throughout the match.'
The win also marked a significant improvement for Senegal, who had previously struggled to find their footing in the tournament. The result will give the team and their fans a much-needed boost ahead of the final stages of the competition.
The round of 32 will feature the top eight third-placed teams from the eight groups, with the draw set to take place on December 7th. Senegal will be hoping to be one of the teams selected to progress to the next stage.