Ali Al-Hamadi’s Iraq face Senegal in their final World Cup group game in Toronto this evening knowing that only a comprehensive victory will see them into the knockout stages (KO 8pm, ITV4).

The Iraqis are currently bottom of their group having been beaten 4-1 by Norway in their opening fixture and lost 3-0 to France in their second, leaving them with zero points and a goal difference of minus six.

In order to have any chance of finishing as one of the best third-placed sides they would realistically have to win by four goals, perhaps even more.

Blues striker Al-Hamadi, the 11th Town player to have appeared at a World Cup finals, started the first match and came on as a sub in the second and looks certain to be in the XI this evening with Iraq short on fit frontmen.

The former AFC Wimbledon man, who spent last season on loan at Luton, has previously won 22 caps, scoring five international goals.

If he finds the net this evening, he would become the first Town player to score at a World Cup since Matt Holland with Ireland in 2002.

This evening’s match will be refereed by Premier League official Anthony Taylor with fellow Englishmen Gary Beswick and Adam Nunn his assistants.

Both Blues at the finals look set for an exit with George Hirst’s Scotland’s chances hanging by a thread following their 3-0 defeat to Brazil on Wednesday.

The Scots currently sit eighth among the best third-placed teams on three points with a goal difference of minus three. With half the groups still to complete their fixtures, it seems almost certain they will be pushed out of the top eight and they will have failed in their pre-tournament aim of making the knockout phase for the first time.

If that’s the case, Hirst will join George Burley (also Scotland) and Bartosz Bialkowski (Poland) in having travelled to a World Cup but without playing a minute.

In 1958, John Elsworthy was named in the Wales squad but was among a number of players who didn’t fly to Sweden for the finals with their seats on the plane instead given to the wives of FAW officials.

Photo: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters