By Daniel Bampoe
Ghana began their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a dramatic and hard-fought victory over Panama, producing a late smash-and-grab performance to secure all three points in their opening Group L encounter at Toronto Stadium.
The Black Stars were forced to withstand sustained pressure for much of the contest and appeared destined to settle for a draw before a devastating stoppage-time counter-attack delivered a priceless winning goal.
The victory gives Ghana an ideal start to their World Cup journey and provides a significant boost ahead of difficult group-stage clashes against England and Croatia.
Coming into the tournament, there were concerns about Ghana’s preparations following a challenging build-up marked by limited friendly matches and questions surrounding the fitness of several key players.
However, head coach Carlos Queiroz had consistently expressed confidence in his team’s ability to compete, insisting before the match that the Black Stars possessed the character and quality needed to succeed on football’s biggest stage.
Panama, however, arrived determined to spoil the plans and immediately took control of proceedings after kickoff. The Central Americans started aggressively and almost found the breakthrough within the opening three minutes.
A dangerous delivery from Michael Murillo picked out Cecilio Waterman inside the penalty area, and the striker unleashed a powerful volley that looked destined for the back of the net.
Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, however, produced a magnificent reflex save to deny Panama and keep the scores level.
The early chance set the pattern for much of the first half. Panama dominated possession, controlled the tempo and repeatedly forced Ghana onto the defensive.
The Black Stars struggled to gain a foothold in the match and found it difficult to string together meaningful attacking moves.
Throughout the opening 45 minutes, Panama looked the more organised and threatening side. Their midfield dictated play while the attack struggled to create opportunities. By halftime, the Black Stars had failed to register a single shot on goal, highlighting the extent of Panama’s dominance.
Despite Panama’s superiority, the defensive unit remained disciplined, with Benjamin Asare once again proving his importance to the national team.
The goalkeeper’s composure and shot-stopping ability ensured the Black Stars entered the break still level and within touching distance of a positive result.
The second half brought a completely different outlook from the Ghanaian side. Recognising the need for greater attacking urgency, Queiroz turned to his bench and introduced Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Brandon Thomas-Asante.
The substitutions immediately transformed the contest.
Issahaku’s pace and direct running injected fresh energy into the attack, while Thomas-Asante’s movement and physical presence unsettled the Panama defence.
The momentum gradually shifted in favour of the Black Stars as they began to play with greater confidence and purpose.
For the first time in the match, Panama found themselves under sustained pressure. Ghana pushed forward in search of a breakthrough and came agonisingly close when defender Jerome Opoku Adjetey rose highest from a corner kick. His powerful header narrowly missed the target, leaving Ghanaian supporters momentarily holding their breath.
As the match entered its losing stages, it appeared that both sides would have to settle for a point. Yet just when Panama seemed to have done enough to secure a draw, Ghana produced the decisive moment.
Deep into stoppage time, the Black Stars launched a rapid counter-attack that caught the Panama defence completely exposed. Thomas-Asante led the charge with a powerful run through midfield before delivering a perfectly timed pass into the path of Yirenkyi.
The goal completed a remarkable turnaround and handed Ghana a victory that had looked unlikely for large portions of the match.
Following the game, an elated Carlos Queiroz praised his players for their resilience and commitment, describing the performance as a triumph of discipline and tactical execution.
“First we had to suffer, we battled like warriors. We won the game with the brains,” the Ghana coach told ITV after the match.
The experienced Portuguese tactician revealed that enduring pressure had always been part of the game plan against a technically gifted Panama side.
“First half was to suffer against a great team. They know how to play, they know how to do things. We knew that they would control the game but step-by-step this was our strategy to let them come and start to make the control until we scored because this is the way to win. Win all the time,” Queiroz explained.
The victory leaves Ghana in a strong position in Group L ahead of upcoming encounters against England and Croatia. More importantly, it demonstrates the fighting spirit and resilience that have long been associated with the Black Stars on the international stage.
