Two defeats from two against France and Norway had put the Lions of Teranga facing an uphill battle to secure qualification as one of the best third-placed nations, knowing only a win would keep those dreams alive.
Although the scoreline may not suggest it, Iraq showed glimpses of promise in their opening two games but were ultimately outclassed by their opponents' superior attacking talent and leaky defence.
This proved to be the case here, aided by the dismissal of Rebin Sulaka with just 13 minutes on the clock, as Senegal tore apart a lacklustre Iraq backline in the second period.
They had to remain patient though as Graham Arnold's low-block created little space for Senegal to work in but space opened up in the second-half as they became the first African team ever to score five goals in a single World Cup match.
Bouncing back from back-to-back defeats by dictating play
Senegal were always expected to dominate possession in this one and the red card to Sulaka early on only confirmed they would enjoy complete control for the remainder of the contest.
Their first-half showing against France, where the Lions of Teranga really should have put the two-time World champions to the sword, was enough to give them hope they would have a successful tournament.
An Ismaila Sarr brace against Norway didn’t prove enough as they suffered a 3-2 loss and were second-best defensively against the formidable Erling Haaland.
Facing Iraq not only gave Senegal the perfect opportunity to book their place in the round of 32 with a scoring spree but more importantly to restore confidence to a side that had been left deflated by successive defeats.
The athleticism of Senegal’s midfield trio overran Zidane Iqbal and Amir Al-Ammari with the red card ultimately proving crucial in deciding the outcome of the game.
Captain Idrissa Gueye was subsequently able to take up a more attacking role, as shown by creating the joint-most chances of anyone in the game with four, as the Lions of Mesopotamia were unable to track down the Everton midfield linchpin.
Substitutes make the difference
It wasn’t that the Lions of Teranga were devoid of ideas in the opening period but they seemed to lack creative spark in the final third.
Pape Thiaw’s half-time teamtalk proved vital as Senegal came out in the second-half with a renewed purpose, Ibrahim Mbaye on the right driving at the Iraq defence more frequently with Sadio Mane acting as the creator in chief.
Crucially, the triple alteration which saw Iliman Ndiaye, Nicolas Jackson and Pape Gueye introduced signalled their attacking intent as they aimed to freshen things up offensively.
The latter notched two goals in quick succession, both thunderous strikes, while ex-Bayern Munich frontman Jackson proved a handful and really should have got on the scoresheet but he certainly staked a claim for a starting role in the round of 32.
Ndiaye completed the rout with eight minutes remaining with a sumptuous strike from range which was a perfect example of the array of attacking talent at their disposal with competitions for places in the forward line ahead of the knockout stages.
The quality of the opposition must be taken into account though with the Lions of Teranga unlikely to face another side of Iraq's calibre in this tournament.
However, such a convincing victory can only breed confidence in a Senegal side who knew nothing less than a comprehensive win would suffice.
