Ghana launched their FIFA World Cup campaign in dramatic fashion as Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time winner secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama on Wednesday, breaking Central American hearts in the dying moments of a tense Group L encounter.
With England and Croatia also lurking in the group, both teams understood the importance of making a positive start. However, the weight of the occasion was evident early on as neither side was willing to take major risks in a cautious opening half.
Panama nearly grabbed an early breakthrough just two minutes into the contest. Cecilio Waterman reacted quickest to a delivery into the penalty area and directed a half-volley towards goal, but Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi produced an excellent save to keep the scores level.
That chance proved to be one of the few highlights before halftime. Ghana struggled to find any attacking rhythm, continuing the form that had seen them fail to win any of their six matches since topping their qualification group. Marvin Senaya’s wayward effort was the Black Stars’ only attempt of note during a disappointing first-half display.
Panama enjoyed more possession and looked the more composed side for long periods, but they were unable to turn their control into clear scoring opportunities. Aside from a penalty appeal midway through the half, the Canal Men rarely threatened Ghana’s goal.
The game opened up slightly after the restart. Panama created the first meaningful opportunity of the second half when Carlos Harvey’s mishit shot fell kindly to Christian Martinez inside the box. Under pressure from a recovering defender, Martinez could only steer his effort into the side netting.
Ghana gradually improved and began asking more questions of the Panamanian defence. Their best chance arrived in the 67th minute when Brandon Thomas-Asante burst down the flank and delivered a dangerous ball across goal. Jordan Ayew looked set to apply the finishing touch, but a superb last-ditch challenge from Jiovany Ramos denied what seemed a certain goal.
As the clock ticked down, the match appeared destined to end in a goalless draw. Panama looked set to claim a valuable point in their quest to reach the knockout stages for the first time, while Ghana seemed frustrated by another lacklustre attacking performance.
But football can change in an instant.
Deep into stoppage time, Thomas-Asante once again became the catalyst. The forward drove into the penalty area before squaring an inviting pass across the face of goal. Caleb Yirenkyi timed his run perfectly and calmly slotted into an empty net in the 95th minute, sparking wild celebrations among Ghanaian players and supporters.
The dramatic victory gives Ghana a crucial three points and places them firmly in the early qualification picture ahead of a daunting clash with England. Panama, meanwhile, are left wondering what might have been after suffering only their third defeat in 14 matches.
For the Black Stars, it was far from a perfect performance, but when the decisive moment arrived, they delivered. And on football’s biggest stage, that is often all that matters.
