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Ghana defeated Panama by a narrow margin this Wednesday at the , in the opening match of Group L of the 2026 World Cup, with a last-minute goal that left the Central Americans with no options.
The goal came in the 90th minute and was scored by Caleb Yirenkyi, a 20-year-old midfielder who plays for FC Nordsjælland in Denmark.
The paradox of the match: the same Yirenkyi had received a yellow card in the 16th minute, yet he ended up being the hero of a victory that Ghana did not deserve based on performance, but certainly did for their effectiveness.
The numbers from the match told a different story. with 64% compared to Ghana's 36%, and created more chances: three total shots against one from the Africans, with one shot on target compared to none from Ghana in the official count. However, the Panamanians could not find the net and paid dearly for their lack of accuracy.
Ghana, on the other hand, was solid in defense and committed just three fouls, compared to Panama's six. The Africans withstood their opponents' dominance for 90 minutes and struck at the only moment that mattered.
Regarding the warnings, in addition to the early yellow card to Yirenkyi, C. Blackman (Panama) received a yellow card in the 73rd minute and was substituted during injury time.
Both teams turned to their benches with intensity. Ghana made five changes, including the substitution of L. Ati Zigi due to injury at halftime (minute 46) and J. Ayew in the 87th minute. Panama made four substitutions, all in the second half, in a fruitless search for an equalizer.
With this result, and ranks second, tied with England, which on the same day defeated Croatia 2-0 with a double from Harry Kane. Panama and Croatia remain with zero points, facing a very difficult situation for the upcoming matches.
For Panama, the blow is hard: it is only competing in its second World Cup after debuting in Russia 2018, where it also did not earn any points. History repeats itself, and the margin for error is now minimal.
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