Senegalvs
IraqThe match was effectively over before most fans at BMO Field had finished their first drink. Habib Diarra scored in the 4th minute, Rebin Sulaka was sent off in the 13th, and from that point Senegal had 77 minutes to do whatever they wanted against a ten-man Iraq side that had nowhere to hide.
They took their time — and then they took everything.
Diarra's opener came off an Abdoulaye Seck assist, a clean finish that set the tone early. Iraq needed to weather the storm, and for a while they did, even if Senegal's 69% possession and 12 corners told the story of who was in charge. Seck picked up a yellow card in the 18th minute, a mild blemish on an otherwise controlled first half for the Africans. Going into the break at 1-0 felt almost generous to Iraq — Senegal had 28 shots on the night and put 12 on target; the Iraqi goalkeeper was busy from the first whistle.
The Second Half Was a Different Sport
Senegal came out after the break with obvious intent. Ismaïla Sarr, fed by Lamine Camara, made it 2-0 in the 56th minute. Three minutes later, Sarr turned provider — Pape Gueye ran onto his pass and buried the third. ¡Ala gran púchica! — three goals inside four second-half minutes, and Iraq, already a man down, were completely broken.
Gueye added his second of the night in the 71st minute, this time with Iliman Ndiaye picking out the run. The pair then swapped roles: Gueye found Ndiaye in the 82nd, and Ndiaye finished to make it five. Cabal, that was the match summed up in one exchange — two players so comfortable they were just playing catch with the Iraqi defense.
Gueye collected a yellow card in the 81st minute, a small footnote on what was otherwise a spectacular personal performance. Iraq's Amir Al-Ammari was booked in the 75th and Merchas Doski in the 90th, both largely irrelevant by then.
The numbers behind the scoreline were just as stark:
- Possession: Senegal 69.3%, Iraq 30.7%
- Shots / on target: Senegal 28/12, Iraq 6/1
- Passes / accuracy: Senegal 590 at 90%, Iraq 265 at 70%
- Saves: Senegal needed 1; Iraq's goalkeeper made 7
Our pre-match read made Senegal the favorite at 79%, and they left absolutely no doubt.
The red card to Sulaka was the hinge the whole match swung on — Iraq were never going to outplay Senegal with eleven, let alone ten. But it would be unfair to Senegal to frame this purely as Iraq's collapse. El chispudo de Ndiaye and Gueye in that second half was something else: sharp movement, quick combinations, no wasted touches. This was a team that knew exactly what it wanted to do and had the players to do it.
The question now is whether Senegal can carry this kind of clinical edge into tougher fixtures. Against better opposition, they won't get a man sent off in the 13th minute. But on this night, at BMO Field in front of 43,036, they looked every bit a World Cup contender.
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