Ghana Seals Late Victory Over Panama As Yirenkyi Delivers In World Cup Group L

Caleb Yirenkyi struck a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time as Ghana edged Panama 1-0, earning a vital opening Group L victory at the FIFA World Cup and easing pressure after a flat attacking display for much of the contest at Toronto Stadium.

The result followed England's 4-2 success against Croatia in the same group, so both Ghana and Panama went into this match viewing it as a key chance to boost qualification hopes, yet the game stayed tense and tight until the final seconds.

With Panama pushing forward late on, Ghana broke quickly in stoppage time as Antoine Semenyo carried the ball, slipped in Brandon Thomas-Asante on the right side, and the substitute drilled a low cross that Yirenkyi met inside the six-yard box in the 95th minute, sparking huge celebrations among Ghana supporters.

Yirenkyi’s strike officially came at 94 minutes and four seconds, making it Ghana’s latest goal in World Cup history and beating Asamoah Gyan’s extra-time effort against the United States in June 2010, clocked at 92 minutes and 38 seconds, while also denying Panama what would have been a first World Cup point.

Panama almost stunned Ghana inside two minutes when Amir Murillo swung in a cross from the right and Cecilio Waterman met it first time, but goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi reacted sharply and clawed the ball away, preventing an early breakthrough in a half that later produced little else in front of goal.

Ghana struggled badly before the interval despite having Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew in the starting line-up, managing just one shot in the first 45 minutes, which equalled the lowest total by any team in a first half at this year’s World Cup, matching France’s effort against Senegal.

Centre-back Jonas Adjetey surprisingly posed Ghana’s main attacking threat from set-pieces, as the defender produced the team’s first effort on target soon after the break with a 48th-minute header that tested Orlando Mosquera, then later rose again from a corner and nodded narrowly wide, ending with two of Ghana’s attempts, the joint-most for the side.

Earlier, Panama also went close when Jiovany Ramos lashed a strike over the bar, while Elisha Owusu sent Ghana’s best first-half opening badly off target and into touch, underlining how ineffective Carlos Queiroz’s team were in the attacking third before the late surge that finally brought the winner.

After Adjetey’s header, Panama created the clearer chances as Cristian Martinez struck the side-netting from close range, and Ramos produced a crucial sliding challenge to stop Ayew converting another low cross from Thomas-Asante before the defender advanced upfield and curled a shot from the edge of the box just past the left post.

Ghana had seemed on course for a first ever goalless draw at a World Cup finals until Thomas-Asante, who recently helped Coventry City win promotion to the Premier League, came off the bench and changed the momentum with his direct running and precise delivery for Yirenkyi’s decisive finish deep into stoppage time.

Despite the late win, the numbers highlighted Ghana’s issues in front of goal, as Queiroz’s side recorded an expected goals value of 1.25 from seven attempts compared with Panama’s 0.75 from 11 shots, underlining that Panama produced more efforts while Ghana relied on a single clinical moment to start their Group L campaign with three points.