Ghana secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama thanks to a stoppage time goal from Caleb Yirenkyi in their opening World Cup fixture in Toronto.
The contest appeared destined to finish without a winner until the fifth minute of added time. Brandon Thomas Asante burst forward down the left flank, skipped past his defender and delivered a low pass into the box. Yirenkyi arrived at the perfect moment and calmly guided the ball home, breaking Panama’s resistance and earning all three points for the Black Stars.
The result was a painful setback for Panama, who were seeking the first World Cup point in their history. Competing in only their fourth appearance at the tournament since debuting in 2018, they matched Ghana for much of the match and arguably created the better opportunities.
Panama nearly made the ideal start when Cecilio Waterman tested goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi inside the opening minutes, forcing an excellent save. Later in the second half, Cristian Martinez came close to breaking the deadlock, sending an effort into the side netting from close range.
Ghana suffered a setback when Ati Zigi picked up an injury before the interval after landing awkwardly. Benjamin Asare replaced him at halftime and was called into action during the closing moments. One of Panama’s best late chances came from an unusual source, with goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera joining an attacking set piece and helping create an opening that eventually fell to Ismael Diaz, whose header was comfortably gathered by Asare.
Despite securing victory, Ghana’s overall performance left room for improvement ahead of a challenging clash against Group L leaders England in Boston. Panama, meanwhile, will look to end their World Cup losing streak when they take on Croatia in their next group stage encounter.
Notably, Ghana were without midfielder Thomas Partey, who was unable to enter Canada because of ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
