Ghana secured a dramatic late victory over Panama in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time to seal a 1-0 win in Toronto.
The Group L encounter at BMO Field looked set to end goalless after a largely disjointed contest, but Ghana struck late on the break to snatch all three points in front of jubilant supporters.
The Black Stars were immediately on the back foot at the start of the match, with Panama creating the first clear opening inside two minutes.
A low cross found Waterman, whose effort was pushed away by Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who was forced into early action.
Panama continued to grow into the match and enjoyed long spells of possession, at one stage controlling 65% of the ball compared to Ghana’s 35% who offered little attacking threat by not registering a shot in the first half.
The pressure from Panama also saw Ati-Zigi called into action on multiple occasions, including a heavy collision with Carlos Harvey while dealing with a cross.
The Ghana goalkeeper later went down injured, appearing to struggle with his thigh, before eventually being replaced.
The second half began with a major setback for Ghana as Ati-Zigi was unable to continue.
Benjamin Asare came on to make his debut at a major tournament just 46 minutes into the contest.
Almost immediately, Ghana showed more intent. Jonas Adjetey forced their first shot on target with a header from a cross, although it did not trouble the Panama goalkeeper.
Substitutes Abdul Fatawu and Brandon Thomas-Asante injected energy into the attack, with Fatawu particularly lively in wide areas.
His direct running forced Panama defender Cesar Blackman into a booking after a foul on the edge of the penalty area.
Ghana came close again when Antoine Semenyo delivered a dangerous low cross towards Jordan Ayew, only for defender Ramos to intervene at the crucial moment.
At the other end, Panama nearly broke the deadlock when Cristian Martinez struck the side netting.
With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Ghana struck in devastating fashion deep into stoppage time.
A Panama attack broke down and Ghana surged forward through Brandon Thomas-Asante, who drove down the left and evaded a sliding challenge before delivering a low cross into the box.
Yirenkyi, who replaced Thomas Partey in midfield following his Canada entry denial, reacted quickest, finishing from close range to spark wild celebrations among the Ghana supporters in Toronto.
The goal, which was scored in the 90+5th minute, sealed a crucial opening win for Ghana and denied Panama what would have been their first World Cup point.
Elsewhere in Group L, England beat Croatia 4-2 to go top of the standings, leaving Croatia bottom after the opening round of matches.
Ghana now turns their attention to the clash with England on 23 June, while Panama face Croatia on the same day in their second group fixture.
