Ghana beat Panama 1-0 in Toronto after Caleb Yirchich scored from close range in the 95th minute, delivering a dramatic late victory for the Black Stars. Panama, a Central American side, had looked the better team for much of the match and came close to earning a historic point, but left empty-handed.
The game was played at the 2026 World Cup, and although the matchup was not expected to draw much attention, it produced one of the tournament's most dramatic moments. Ghana did not play especially well, but it still found a way to take three points against one of the competition's weaker teams.
The article notes that Ghana is no longer the African powerhouse it once was, with the Asamoah Gyan era and the 2010 World Cup gold-generation now distant memories. It also failed to qualify for the most recent Africa Cup of Nations, so expectations for this World Cup were limited.
Panama, which was making only its second World Cup appearance after a difficult debut in 2018 against England, Belgium and Tunisia, showed greater experience and belief this time. Former Maccabi Tel Aviv goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera was excellent for Panama, and Kiryat Shmona midfielder Christian Martinez caused problems for Ghana early on, helping Panama control the first half. As the match went on, Ghana improved and was rewarded at the end with Yirchich's decisive goal.
