Ghana made a dream start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign after Caleb Yirenkyi scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
The Black Stars endured a difficult opening period as Panama dominated the early exchanges and threatened to take control of the match. Just one minute into the game, Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi was forced into a crucial save to deny the Central Americans an early breakthrough.
Panama continued to press forward and created several dangerous moments, but Ati-Zigi produced a series of important interventions to keep Ghana level. However, the goalkeeper’s night ended prematurely after he suffered an injury and was replaced at half-time by Benjamin Asare.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz responded by making tactical adjustments in the second half, introducing Brandon Thomas-Asante and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku to provide fresh energy in attack.
The changes helped Ghana gain greater control of possession and push Panama deeper into their own half. Despite the improvement, clear goalscoring opportunities remained limited as both sides struggled to find a breakthrough.
With the match appearing destined for a draw, Ghana produced a decisive moment in the fifth minute of added time.
Caleb Yirenkyi initiated the move before Brandon Thomas-Asante collected possession and surged past his marker into the penalty area. Showing excellent composure, Thomas-Asante delivered a precise pass across goal to the unmarked Yirenkyi, who arrived at the back post to slot home the winner in the 95th minute.
The late strike sparked wild celebrations among Ghana’s players and supporters as the Black Stars secured all three points in dramatic fashion.
The victory marks only Ghana’s second winning start at a FIFA World Cup, following the famous 1-0 win over Serbia at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
More importantly, the result places the Black Stars in a strong position ahead of their remaining Group L fixtures against England and Croatia as they pursue a place in the knockout stages for the first time since 2010.
