Ghana beat Panama 1–0 in chaotic, charged World Cup Group L match

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificWorld CupMiddle EastExplainedOpinionVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomySportHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelSponsored Contentplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftWorld Cup 2026Results and FixturesGroup standingsGoals and reactionWho is Yoane Wissa? Meet DR Congo goal scorercaret-rightSport|World Cup 2026Ghana beat Panama 1–0 in chaotic, charged World Cup Group L matchCaleb Yirenkyi scored a winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time in a scrappy end to the match in Toronto. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoGhana's Caleb Yirenkyi celebrates scoring the winning goal against Panama [Kevin Sousa/Reuters]By ReutersPublished On 18 Jun 202618 Jun 2026Ghana’s fans and players celebrated wildly as Caleb Yirenkyi finished a sweeping counterattack ‌‌with a tap-in goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the team a last-gasp win over Panama in both teams’ opening World Cup match in rainy Toronto. The goal was followed by a melee before the referee blew the full-time whistle, sealing a 1-0 victory in the Group L match on Wednesday. After Ghana quickly moved the play from their own half, Brandon Thomas-Asante drove ⁠⁠the ball into the 18-yard box down the left flank and rolled a pass towards the middle for Yirenkyi to redirect into the net. The second half was in complete contrast with the very quiet first half. The teams picked up the tempo in the second half, but scoring chances remained minimal until the decisive play. Panama were the superior team before half-time, while Ghana dictated more of the play after the interval. The match was viewed as a crucial showdown between teams expected to battle for third place ‌‌in Group L. Earlier on Wednesday, England defeated Croatia 4-2 in a match between the group favourites. At the start of the tournament, FIFA ranked England fourth, Croatia 11th, Panama at 34, and Ghana at number 73. In the second minute, Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi was called into action, diving to his right to stop a 15-yard volley attempt by Cecilio Waterman. Panama had another half-chance in the 38th minute. Ati Zigi made ⁠⁠a leaping punch to clear a cross. The ball fell to ⁠⁠Panama’s Jiovany Ramos, who sliced his 14-yard, right-footed strike wide to the right. Ati Zigi was replaced at half-time due to an injury, with Benjamin Asare taking over in the net. Ghana attempted no shots in the first half, the first ⁠⁠team in this year’s World Cup to accomplish that dubious feat. Jonas Adjetey ended the drought with a header, which Panama’s Orlando Mosquera ⁠⁠stopped in the 48th minute. The Ghanaians were missing midfielder ⁠⁠Thomas Partey, who was denied a visa to enter Canada due to pending sexual-assault charges against him in England. He has denied the accusations. Partey will be available for Ghana’s other two group games, both to be played in the ‌‌United States. Ghana are in the World Cup for the fifth time in the past six editions, with their best result being a quarterfinal appearance in 2010. Panama are competing at just ‌‌their ‌‌second World Cup, having lost all three of their group-stage matches in 2018. Both teams are back in action on Tuesday, with Ghana facing England in Foxborough, Mass., and Panama opposing Croatia in Toronto. Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: