For teams in groups with one particularly weak team at this tournament, the expanded competition, and a format which allows eight of the best third-placed teams to progress, means that even the poorest of starts can be salvaged.
In the 96-year history of the World Cup, no team has ever lost their opening two group stage games and advanced to reach the knockouts, yet Senegal are on the brink of doing just that after following up losses against France and Norway with a smashing of Iraq.
The Asian side are ranked 63rd in the world, are returning to the high table for the first time in 40 years and, having won the Inter-Confederation playoffs, wouldn't have qualified had it not been for the expanded field.
Having been soundly beaten by Norway and France, they were out of their depth here - particularly during a second half when Senegal ran riot, with Iraq, tired, collapsing, surely wishing the game was over, affording the Teranga Lions an open road to maximum points.
They opened the scoring in the fourth minute through HabibDiarra, gained a man advantage 11 minutes later when RebinSulaka was dismissed for dragging down SadioMané. Senegal then took the game beyond their fading opponents during a magnificent second-half.
Head coach PapeThiaw made the tough changes before the match, finally putting KalidouKoulibaly out of his misery and introducing AbdoulayeSeck into the heart of his defence - the call he surely should have made ahead of their opener - while dropping misfiring Nicolas Jackson and promoting wonderkidIbrahim Mbaye to the starting XI.
The Paris Saint-Germain teenager -- at 18 years and 153 days -- becomes the youngest Senegal player ever to start a World Cup match, and the fifth youngest African player ever to start at the tournament.
Elsewhere, Ismail Jakobs started at left back ahead of El HadjiMalickDiouf, while HabibDiarra was introduced ahead of PapeGueye to inject a genuine midfield engine into the heart of the park, likely to compensate for the ageing legs of IdrissaGueye.
While Diarra opened the scoring, it was PapeGueye, entering as a 67th minute substitute, who truly fired Senegal to the brink of qualification.
It was his goal that downed Morocco to win the Africa Cup of Nations final, and here he excelled -- slamming home a stunning left-footed effort moments after entering -- before adding Senegal's fourth 11 minutes later.
In the process, Senegal became the first African team to score five goals in a World Cup game, and -- having dramatically improved their goal difference -- are on the cusp of the knockouts.
Source: ESPN
