Yirenkyi Seals Late World Cup Victory for Ghana Against Panama
Photo: EFE.
June 17, 2026 Hour: 9:47 pm
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A late goal in the 95th minute by Caleb Yirenkyi sealed a hard-fought 1-0 victory for the African team in Toronto under heavy rain at the FIFA World Cup 2026.
On June 17, Ghana defeated Panama 1-0 in Toronto, Canada, during their first Group L match of the World Cup 2026 with a dramatic late goal.
A continuous downpour of rain affected the playing conditions throughout the entire game, making offensive construction difficult for both squads, which committed multiple technical errors, resulting in very few clear scoring opportunities during the first 90 minutes of the match.
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Panama maintained superior control of the football and created more offensive approaches in the opposing penalty area. In the early stages of the first half, Panamanian forward Waterman forced a difficult save from the Ghanaian starting goalkeeper, Ati Zigi. During the second half, MartÃnez had a clear opportunity right in front of the goal line, but his shot missed the target.
Ghana struggled to generate dangerous situations, recording only two headers by Adjetev prior to the final segment of the match. However, the African team achieved maximum efficiency in the fifth minute of injury time when Caleb Yirenkyi scored. The decisive play began when Caleb Yirenkyi recovered the football in his own half and initiated a fast counter-attack.
The substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante, who entered the pitch to change the offensive dynamic, executed an individual play before sending a low pass. Caleb Yirenkyi arrived at the center of the box to push the ball into the net, sealing the 1-0 victory.
Group L Standings
With this dramatic victory, Ghana successfully earned three points to begin their campaign in Group L of the global tournament. This competitive group also features the national teams of England and Croatia, who faced each other in Dallas. In that previous match, the English team secured a four goals to two victory over the Croatian squad.
This result leaves England at the top of Group L because of goal difference, followed closely by Ghana with three points. Panama and Croatia remain at the bottom of the group standings after suffering defeats in their opening matches. The Panamanian national team must now prepare for their upcoming fixtures to avoid early elimination from the World Cup 2026.
Author: Laura V. Mor
Source: Agencies
