Ghana needed patience, resilience and one clear moment. It arrived in the 95th minute, when 20‑year‑old Caleb Yirenkyi bundled home the winner to seal a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto and open their World Cup campaign with three points.
Carlos Queiroz’s side had been held at arm’s length for almost the entire evening. Panama, chasing their first-ever World Cup point at the fourth attempt, frustrated Ghana with discipline, energy and a plan that worked for 94 minutes. But the final act belonged to the Black Stars.
World Cup: Ghana push, Panama adjust
The first half barely flickered. Ghana did not register a shot, their attacking patterns smothered by Panama’s compact shape. Antoine Semenyo, usually the spark, found himself crowded out, forced into wide areas where the danger quickly fizzled.
Panama, meanwhile, carried the more purposeful threat early on. Waterman forced an early save, and their willingness to press high unsettled Ghana’s attempts to build from the back. Still, clear chances were scarce, and the game drifted into the break without a defining moment.
The tempo shifted after the hour. Queiroz introduced Brandon Thomas-Asante, and the Coventry forward immediately injected urgency down the left. Panama responded with their own surge: Martinez fired into the side-netting from close range, a reminder that they were not simply here to contain.
Ghana’s best opening before the goal came when Semenyo squared for Jordan Ayew, only for Ramos to produce a superb recovery tackle. It summed up Panama’s night, alert, organised, and unwilling to fold.
The decisive moment
Then came the breakthrough. Deep into stoppage time, Thomas-Asante found space on the left and shaped a low, teasing cross. Yirenkyi attacked it, stretching to force the ball over the line. It was scrappy, improvised and exactly what Ghana needed.
Panama threw everything forward in the final seconds, even goalkeeper Mosquera joining the scramble. He rose highest to win a header in the box, but the equaliser never came.
Afterwards, Queiroz praised his side’s composure under pressure. He said:
We battled like warriors.
We won the game with our brains. First we had to suffer against a great team. They know how to play. We knew they would control the game. But step by step, our strategy was to let them come. This is the way to win.
It was a measured assessment of a performance that was far from fluent but ultimately effective.
What it means for group L
For Panama, the defeat is a heavy blow. With England and Croatia still to come, their route to progression now looks steep. Their organisation and intensity were impressive, but they lacked the cutting edge to turn pressure into points.
Ghana, meanwhile, have momentum and a moment to savour. Scoring the latest winner of the tournament so far gives them a psychological lift, even if the performance leaves room for improvement. Queiroz will expect more control, more invention and more threat as the group unfolds.
On opening night, the only thing that mattered was the result. Thanks to Yirenkyi’s late intervention, Ghana walk away from Toronto with exactly what they came for.
Featured image via the Canary
By Faz Ali
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