BY Nadia Ntiamoah
Black Stars Group L opponents, Panama, continued their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in an international friendly played at Energizer Park in St. Louis on Saturday.
The result offered both nations an important opportunity to assess their readiness ahead of football’s biggest tournament, which kicks off later this month in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Panama, who will face Ghana in their opening Group L fixture on June 17, were forced to come from behind after Bosnia and Herzegovina took the lead midway through the first half.
The Europeans opened the scoring in the 23rd minute when defender Nikola Katic rose above the Panama defence to power home a header from an accurately delivered cross by Amar Dedic.
The goal exposed some defensive vulnerabilities within the Panamanian side and threatened to hand Bosnia a morale-boosting victory as the first half progressed.
However, Panama responded positively and found a crucial equaliser just before the halftime whistle. Deep into first-half stoppage time, defender Jiovany Ramos produced a moment of quality, firing a right-footed effort into the net to restore parity and send the teams into the break level at 1-1.
The second half was characterised by several tactical adjustments as both coaches made numerous substitutions in a bid to test different combinations ahead of the World Cup. Panama introduced experienced players including Eric Davis and Fidel Escobar in the latter stages of the game as they sought greater control and defensive stability.
Despite their efforts, neither side could find a winning goal, with the contest ending in a draw.
Panama’s performance extended their unbeaten run to seven matches, a statistic that will provide confidence heading into the World Cup. However, concerns remain over the team’s defensive organisation after once again conceding a goal, meaning they have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last six outings.
The result will be closely monitored by Ghana’s technical team led by Carlos Queiroz as the Black Stars prepare for what is expected to be a fiercely contested Group L campaign.
Ghana, making their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance, have been drawn alongside Panama, England and Croatia in one of the tournament’s most competitive groups.
The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama in Toronto before facing England and 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia in their remaining group fixtures.
