Ghana vs Panama, FIFA World Cup 2026: Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time goal on Wednesday (local time) gave Ghana a thrilling 1-0 victory against Panama in their Group L match to start their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign. As both teams battled to break the impasse in a fiercely contested match, it appeared as though the game might end in a goalless draw. Despite having more possession, Ghana struggled to break through Panama’s disciplined and well-organized defense, which stayed compact and prevented many opportunities for clear scoring throughout the match. Additionally, Panama occasionally threatened Ghana’s goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi on counterattacks.
FIFA World Cup 2026, Ghana 1-0 Panama: Caleb Yirenkyi finds the net in stoppage time
However, just when the match appeared set to finish level, Yirenkyi struck in stoppage time to seal a hard-fought win for the Black Stars. The late goal denied Panama a valuable point and ensured Ghana made a winning start to their World Cup 2026 campaign. The game witnessed dramatic scenes as a Panama player made contact with Ghana goalkeeper Asare. The only two winning goals scored in the 90th minute or later at the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far have both secured 1-0 victories for African nations, with Caleb Yirenkyi netting for Ghana against Panama and Amad Diallo scoring for Cote d’Ivoire against Ecuador.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Ghana beats Panama to climb to second place in Group L
The result leaves Ghana second in Group L behind England on goal difference after the opening round of fixtures. Panama sits third, while Croatia are bottom following their defeat to England. Earlier, World Cup contenders England secured a convincing 4-2 win over Croatia in what has been the most entertaining match of the tournament so far. The England skipper, Harry Kane, delivered a commanding display, scoring a brace against Croatia, with one goal coming from the penalty spot in the 12th minute and another in the 42nd minute, helping England secure a strong start to their campaign.
The in-form Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the victory with impressive second-half strikes as England pulled away in a high-intensity contest. Croatia had twice fought back to level the scores in a seesaw first half. First, Martin Baturina cancelled out Harry Kane’s retaken penalty with a thumping finish. Then Petar Musa levelled after Kane had struck again with a header.
FIFA World Cup 2026: What’s next for Ghana and Panama?
Ghana, having won their opening game of the tournament, will now face England on 23rd June. Meanwhile, Panama will take on Croatia later on the same day. Ghana and Panama will then play Croatia and England, respectively, on Saturday, 27th June for their final group stage games.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
