Cheikhou Kouyate was a late substitute as Senegal marked their first appearance at a FIFA World Cup finals in 16 years with a 2-1 victory over Poland on Tuesday.
Kouyate played the final three minutes to help the Lions of Teranga over the line at the Otkritie Arena in Moscow.
Senegal took the lead in the first half when Thiago Cionek deflected Idrissa Gana Gueye's shot beyond his own goalkeeper.
The lead was doubled after the interval Mbaye Niang beat Wojciech Szczesny to the ball and slotted home.
Moments before Kouyate's introduction, Grzegorz Krychowiak nodded home to set up a nervy conclusion, but Senegal saw out time to get their Group H campaign off to the perfect start.
Next up is a meeting with Japan in Yekaterinburg on Sunday.