Ghana's midfielders Kwasi Sibo and Elisha Owusu celebrate after beating Panama in their 2026 Fifa World Cup Group match in Toronto.
Caleb Yirenkyi bundled in a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Ghana snatched a 1-0 victory over Panama in an otherwise attritional opening Fifa World Cup Group L clash.
Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time heroics sent thousands of Ghanaian supporters inside Canada's largest city into a frenzy, breaking the deadlock in a match that had seemed destined for a stalemate.
Both sides largely struggled to carve out clear-cut opportunities during a sluggish opening period. Panama threatened within the opening two minutes when striker Cecilio Waterman saw his sharp effort smartly steered away by the outstretched leg of Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi. However, the Black Stars failed to register a single shot on target throughout a flat first half.
The second half played out under steady rain at BMO Field but yielded far more sustained attacking intent from both camps. Cristian Martínez triggered a massive roar from a boisterous Panamanian contingent on the hour mark when he lashed a powerful effort into the side-netting.
