It was a move Ghana had repeatedly drilled throughout its World Cup buildup, and after a night of missed chances, it finally paid off.
In the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, Caleb Yirenkyi finished from close range after a low cross from Brandon Thomas-Asante, sealing a 1-0 win over Panama on Wednesday in both teams’ World Cup opener.
Thomas-Asante broke free down the left and drove the ball across the face of goal, where Yirenkyi arrived to tap in from close range, triggering celebrations as teammates rushed to embrace both players.
“Get the ball to the wings, and then put it in the box, and we get runs, people in the box to finish,” said the 20-year-old Yirenkyi, who scored his first international goal earlier this month in a friendly against Wales. “I tried to play forward and keep running, and hope to see what comes in. I got the ball in the box and finished.”
Ghana played without midfielder Thomas Partey, who was denied entry into Canada while awaiting trial in England on rape charges.
