By Ayomide Otitoju
Ghana opened their World Cup Group L campaign with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama on Wednesday in Toronto, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring a stoppage-time winner to seal all three points in a tightly contested encounter.
Yirenkyi bundled home the decisive goal in the fifth minute of added time, sparking celebrations among thousands of Ghanaian supporters in attendance at Canada’s largest city.
The match began cautiously, with Panama’s Cecilio Waterman testing Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi early in the second minute, but both sides largely struggled to create clear chances in a cagey first half.
Conditions became more demanding in the second half as steady rain fell over the Toronto Stadium, though both teams showed increased attacking intent after the restart.
Panama came close to breaking the deadlock in the 60th minute when Cristian Martínez fired into the side-netting, drawing a loud response from their supporters among the nearly 43,000 spectators.
Ghana’s coach Carlos Queiroz, who took charge just months before the tournament, urged fans on from the touchline as his side pushed for a breakthrough. The veteran manager is now only the second coach in history to feature in five consecutive World Cup tournaments.
Despite sustained pressure and a second-half hydration break marked by loud boos in the rain, Ghana held firm before snatching victory at the death.
The Black Stars were without midfielder Thomas Partey, who was denied a World Cup visa by Canadian authorities amid legal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
