Ghana defeated Panama 1-0 in a tightly contested Group L match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup held in Toronto, Canada, on June 17. Caleb Yirenkyi scored the winning goal in the 95th minute of stoppage time to secure the victory for Ghana [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].
The decisive goal came after a counterattack launched by Brandon Thomas-Asante, who passed into the area before Yirenkyi finished to score deep into added time [1, 2, 3, 4, 6]. Earlier, Ghana's goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi made an early save from Panama’s Cecilio Waterman but had to be replaced at halftime due to injury by Benjamin Asare [1, 7, 2, 4, 5]. Coach Carlos Queiroz said, "Not sure [about Ati Zigi's availability]. It is early and this kind of injury it is only after 24 to 48 hours we can be sure" [8].
The match took place in rainy conditions and was a cagey affair with few clear scoring chances [2, 3, 4]. Panama controlled the first half, while Ghana took hold in possession and attacking play after the break [2, 4]. Despite missing midfielder Thomas Partey due to visa issues linked to a Canadian travel ban over pending accusations, Ghana showed resilience. Queiroz praised the team saying, "With the football we played today we can count on Ghana to do something" [8, 9, 4].
The victory awarded Ghana three crucial points in their bid to reach the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time since 2010 [1, 7, 5]. Following the match, Ghana rose to second place in Group L, while Panama dropped to third [6]. Group leader England secured a 4-2 win over Croatia in another Group L match [4]. Ghana’s next game will be against England, while Panama face Croatia [1, 7, 4, 5].
