FIFA World Cup 2026: Still improvements to be made, says Pape Bouna Thiaw following Senegal's 5-0 victory over Iraq
Toronto, June 27
Senegal coach Pape Bouna Thiaw said that despite his team's dominant 5-0 win over Iraq in their FIFA World Cup clash, there is still room for improvement, stressing that the performance was not yet perfect even after the big victory.
Senegal boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup with a dominant 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq in Toronto on Friday and ended their opponents' hopes of reaching the later stage of the tournament.
"Even though we scored five goals, there are still improvements to be made," he told reporters as per Reuters.
The West Africans now face an anxious wait to discover whether they will progress to the round of 32 as one of the eight best third-placed teams. Their fate will be decided after all group-stage matches conclude.
"Now we have to wait. We have three points secured. There are other matches, so we hope Senegal can qualify," he added.
Senegal made a flying start, opening the scoring in just the fourth minute when Abdoulaye Seck's header from a corner took a decisive deflection off Sunderland midfielder Habib Diarra, wrong-footing Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil.
Iraq's task became significantly harder nine minutes later when defender Rebin Sulaka was shown a straight red card after pulling back Sadio Mane on the edge of the box, with the decision confirmed following a VAR review for denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Mane tested Basil from the resulting free-kick, but Senegal were unable to add a second goal in the first half despite their numerical advantage.
The breakthrough eventually came in the 56th minute after Zidane Iqbal was dispossessed on the edge of his own box, allowing Lamine Camara to set up Ismaila Sarr for a simple finish to make it 2-0.
Three minutes later, Senegal extended their lead spectacularly as substitute Pape Gueye curled a stunning left-foot strike into the top corner with his first involvement after coming on.
Gueye struck again in the 71st minute with a powerful long-range effort to complete a quickfire brace, before another substitute, Iliman Ndiaye, in the 82nd minute, added the fifth to round off a commanding performance.
The result leaves Senegal in a strong position to progress, with their superior goal difference potentially proving decisive in the race for qualification.
Thiaw praised winger Sadio Mane's team spirit, highlighting his strong contribution on the pitch and his valuable work in defence.
"He has this team spirit... he does great things on the pitch, he is very helpful defence-wise," Thiaw said of Mane.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great win for Senegal! Sadio Mane is a legend, but that red card for Iraq killed the game. Still, a 5-0 is impressive. Hope they make it through—would love to see more African teams in the knockout stages.
Honestly, I'm just happy to see football growing globally. India might not be there yet, but matches like this keep me inspired. Senegal's teamwork is something else! 🏆
Thiaw's humility is refreshing. Many coaches would boast after such a win, but he's focused on improving. That's the mark of a great leader. Mane's defensive work is also underrated—true team player!
That Gueye guy came off the bench and scored two screamers! 🙌 Substitutes making an impact—exactly what India needs to focus on in our football development. The bench strength decides big tournaments.
Pakistan and India both need to step up our football game. Watching Senegal dominate like this makes me wonder when we'll see the same passion in Asia. At least the World Cup in Toronto is giving us a new perspective!
Sadio Mane is a boss, but let’
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