Ghana\u2019s Caleb Yirenkyi (3) and Ghana\u2019s Brandon Thomas-Asante (10) have fun their win over Panama throughout the World Cup Group L soccer match in Toronto, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Frank Gunn\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
TORONT\u2014 It was a play Ghana has been practicing throughout its World Cup preparation.<\/p>\n
And after an evening of missed probabilities, it worked.<\/p>\n
Caleb Yirenkyi tapped in a cross from Brandon Thomas-Asante within the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, and Ghana beat Panama 1-0 on Wednesday night within the teams\u2019 World Cup opener.<\/p>\n
READ: World Cup 2026: How are the favorites shaping up?<\/strong><\/p>\n Thomas-Asante got loose on the left side and fired the ball across the goal mouth. Yirenkyi knocked it in, sending his teammates streaming onto the sector to embrace each players.<\/p>\n \u201cGet the ball to the wings, after which put it within the box, and we get runs \u2014 people within the box to complete,\u201d said the 20-year-old Yirenkyi, who scored his first international goal earlier this month in a friendly against Wales. \u201cI attempted (to) just play forward and run forward, after which hope to see what is available in, and yeah, I got the ball within the box and finished.\u201d<\/p>\n Ghana played without midfielder Thomas Partey, who was denied entry into Canada while he awaits trial on rape charges in England.<\/p>\n Ghana players celebrates their first goal scored by Ghana\u2019s Caleb Yirenkyi throughout the World Cup Group L soccer match between Ghana and Panama in Toronto, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Sam Balkansky)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The late goal denied Panama its first World Cup point.<\/p>\n The one shot on goal in the primary half got here two minutes in, when Panama forward Cecilio Waterman latched onto a low cross from Amir Murillo and clipped a ball from the middle of the box toward the online. Lawrence Ati-Zigi dove to his right and palmed the ball away.<\/p>\n The goalkeeper left the sport at halftime after a few hard collisions. He was replaced by Benjamin Asare. Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said Ati-Zigi could be evaluated further on Thursday.<\/p>\n The result puts Ghana at the highest of Group L with England, which beat Croatia 4-2 earlier within the day.<\/p>\n After the primary hour, when probabilities got here at a premium at rainy BMO Field, the match opened up and each teams began smashing shots toward the online.<\/p>\n Within the sixty fifth minute, Thomas-Asante broke through Panama\u2019s back line and played a ball along the 6-yard box toward Jordan Ayew, but Jiovany Ramos ran up from behind with a tackle to forestall the tap-in.<\/p>\n![\"Ghana](\"https:\/\/sports.inquirer.net\/files\/2026\/06\/AP26169055527478-scaled.jpg\")
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