Caleb Yernecki scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time in a tense end to the match in Toronto.
Published on June 18, 2026
Ghanaian fans and players celebrated wildly when Caleb Yerenke finished off a sweeping counterattack and scored in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the team a final win over Panama in the teams’ World Cup opener in rainy Toronto.
The goal was followed by a brawl before the referee blew the final whistle to seal a 1-0 win in the Group L match played on Wednesday.
After Ghana quickly moved the play from its own half, Brandon Thomas Asante sent the ball into the 18-yard box down the left flank and threaded a pass towards the middle for Yerenky to redirect home.
The second half was a complete contrast to the very calm first half.
The performance of both teams improved in the second half, but scoring chances remained slim until the decisive match.
Panama were the superior team before half-time, while Ghana dictated more play after the break.
The match was considered a decisive confrontation between the teams that are expected to compete for third place in Group L.
Earlier on Wednesday, England beat Croatia 4-2 in a match between the group favorites.
At the start of the tournament, FIFA ranked England 4th, Croatia 11th, Panama 34th and Ghana 73rd.
In the second minute, Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zige was called upon, diving to his right to stop Cecilio Waterman’s effort from 15 yards.
Panama had another chance in the 38th minute. Ati Zigi hit a powerful punch to turn away a cross. The ball fell to Panama’s Giovanni Ramos, who curled his right-footed shot from 14 yards wide of the right flank.
Ati Zigi was substituted in the first half due to injury, and Benjamin Asare took over in the net.
Ghana did not have a shot in the first half, the first team at this year’s World Cup to achieve that dubious feat. Jonas Adjeti ended the drought with a header, which was blocked by Panama’s Orlando Mosquera in the 48th minute.
The Ghanaians are missing midfielder Thomas Partey, who was refused a visa to enter Canada due to sexual assault charges against him in the United Kingdom. He denied these accusations. Partey will be available for Ghana’s two other group stage matches, both of which will be played in the United States.
Ghana qualified for the World Cup for the fifth time in the past six editions, and its best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 2010.
Panama is competing in the World Cup finals for only the second time, having lost all three of its group stage matches in 2018.
The two teams return to action on Tuesday, with Ghana facing England in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Panama taking on Croatia in Toronto.
