Edited by Paul Elegbeleye
Ghana snatched three vital points in the final seconds of a tense Group L opener, with Caleb Yirenkyi tapping home in the 95th minute to beat Panama 1-0 at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, in the early hours of Thursday, 18 June 2026 (midnight WAT).
Brandon Thomas-Asante drove the move, racing clear down the left and squaring the ball for Yirenkyi to finish from close range. It was the latest winning goal scored at this World Cup so far and, for Panama, the cruellest possible end to a match they had controlled for long stretches.
Furthermore, the victory arrives with considerable context. Ghana came into the match without Thomas Partey, their most important midfield player, after he was denied entry into Canada due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
On top of that, goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi sustained an injury in the first half and was replaced at half time by second-choice keeper Benjamin Asare.
A short-handed, disrupted Ghana side somehow ground out three points against a Panama team that carried 62 per cent of possession and created two big chances to Ghana’s one. Carlos Queiroz would not have written this script, but he will take every word of it.
For Panama, the result stings badly. Ranked 34th in the world, nearly 40 places above Ghana, they were seconds away from their first-ever World Cup point across four tournament appearances since 2018.
Instead, Yirenkyi’s goal leaves them bottom of Group L with England and Croatia still to come. The fine margins of a World Cup can be genuinely brutal, and Panama felt every one of them on Tuesday night in Toronto.
Table of Contents
Match Details:
- Ghana 1-0 Panama
- Venue: BMO Field (Toronto Stadium), Toronto, Canada
- Date: Thursday, 18 June 2026 (Midnight WAT)
- Goalscorer: Caleb Yirenkyi (90+5′, Ghana)
- Assist: Brandon Thomas-Asante
- Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
- Attendance: 42,942
- Player of the Match: Antoine Semenyo
Panama Dominate, Ghana Survive
Nothing about the first hour suggested a Ghana victory was coming. Panama controlled the tempo from the opening minute, and Cecilio Waterman nearly opened the scoring inside two minutes with a half-volley that Ati Zigi tipped over the bar.
Ghana struggled to get the ball, averaged just 38 per cent possession across the 90 minutes, and registered only eight shots in total compared to Panama’s eleven.
Queiroz’s game plan was transparent: stay compact, absorb pressure, and rely on Ghana’s individual quality to produce something from nothing.
Antoine Semenyo dropped into midfield to get on the ball, Kamaldeen Sulemana worked the channels, and Jordan Ayew organised quietly from the front. None of it produced much in the first half.
Ghana’s best opportunity before the break came from a Thomas-Asante run that was cut out by a last-ditch tackle.
Additionally, Panama’s own profligacy played a significant role in the final result. Cristian Martinez hit the side-netting in the second half with the goal at his mercy. Panama wasted both of their big chances, which ultimately proved fatal.
Zigi Injury Adds to Ghana’s Problems
Lawrence Ati Zigi’s injury complicated everything. Ghana’s first-choice goalkeeper landed awkwardly in the first half, received treatment twice before the interval, and was replaced at half time by Benjamin Asare.
Despite the disruption, Asare performed admirably, making four saves including a crucial stop from Ismael Diaz’s header in the final minutes of stoppage time when Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera came forward for a late set-piece.
Key statistics from the match:
- Ghana xG: 1.31, Panama xG: 0.73 (despite Ghana having far less possession)
- Panama big chances created: 2, scored: 0
- Ghana big chances created: 1, scored: 1
- Asare’s goalkeeper saves in the second half: 3
- Yirenkyi’s goal xG: 0.97, indicating a high-probability finish from close range
- Yirenkyi had been booked in the 16th minute, meaning he completed the full 90 minutes on a yellow card before scoring the winner
The Goal That Changed Everything
With six minutes of added time signalled, Ghana began pushing forward with renewed urgency. Semenyo broke down the left flank and found Thomas-Asante, who burst into the box ahead of his marker. His initial shot was blocked, but the ball broke to Semenyo again.
Thomas-Asante recovered, drove to the left side, and cut a low square ball across goal. Yirenkyi arrived at the back post and tapped in from close range. Ghana’s bench erupted. Panama’s players sank to their knees.
It was a goal that required persistence, quick thinking, and clinical execution under pressure. Thomas-Asante, who only entered the pitch in the 58th minute as a substitute, ended the match with an assist. Not bad for 32 minutes of work.
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Partey’s Absence and What It Means
Ghana managed this victory without their most influential midfield player, which raises a genuine question.
How much stronger could this side look when fully fit and available? Partey’s absence left a gap in creative control that Panama exploited throughout.
Nevertheless, Queiroz’s defensive structure and the attacking instincts of Thomas-Asante and Semenyo proved just enough.
The Road Ahead for Both Sides
Ghana face Group L leaders England on Tuesday, 23 June, in Boston. England started their campaign with a 4-2 win, so the task ahead is considerable.
However, three points in the bag already gives the Black Stars the freedom to approach that match with ambition rather than desperation.
Panama, meanwhile, remain winless at every World Cup they have attended. They play Croatia in Toronto on Wednesday, 24 June. A point there might still keep their knockout-round hopes alive, but Yirenkyi’s late goal has made the mathematics significantly more difficult. Time, and two more matches, will tell.
Also Read: FIFA World Cup: How African teams performed in Round one
