A SENEGAL star made a touching tribute after believing he had given his side a lifeline in a must-win clash.
Senegal entered their clash with Iraq without a point, and needing a win and a swing on goal difference to give themselves a chance to stay in the competition.
They found a breakthrough after just four minutes of football, sending their fans wild in the stands.
But it was of even more importance to the man who initially fired the ball goalwards, Abdoulaye Seck.
The 34-year-old, who plays his club football for Maccabi Haifa, lifted his kit to reveal a picture of him and his late son.
The caption to the picture read: “Forever.”
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Seck also blew a kiss and pointed to the sky in tribute to the child.
Few details about his private loss are known, but it is not the first time the star has remembered his son on the pitch.
Seck showed the world the same tribute under his kit after scoring against Benin in the African Cup of Nations in December.
This time round it was a corner that helped him make the breakthrough, leaping highest to power an effort goalward from near the penalty spot.
But unfortunately for the defender, the finish was ultimately deemed to have deflected in off his team-mate Habib Diarra, meaning the finish won’t go down as his own.
But he will still remember the moment for his tribute, and for helping his nation get one step closer to the Round of 32.
Senegal need as many goals as they can muster up to give themselves the best chance of progressing from Group I in the third-place slot.
Norway and France remain uncatchable in first and second, pitting Senegal against third place finishers across other groups.
Iraq appeared to hand them a chance to rack up the scoreline after being reduced to ten men after just 13 minutes thanks to a denial of Sadio Mane‘s goalscoring opportunity via a tug of his shirt.
But the middle-eastern side held on to the half-time break with the score remaining at 1-0.