Ghana became the second African nation to record a victory at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Caleb Yirenkyi’s dramatic stoppage-time goal secured a 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
The Black Stars looked set to settle for a point in their Group L opener before Yirenkyi struck in the 95th minute, handing Carlos Queiroz’s side a priceless victory and continuing Africa’s encouraging start to the tournament.
The win came days after Côte d’Ivoire defeated Ecuador, giving the continent its second victory of the competition. Africa has also impressed with four draws against some of football’s biggest nations, with Cape Verde holding Spain, Morocco frustrating Brazil, Egypt sharing the spoils with Belgium, and DR Congo earning a creditable draw against Portugal.
While Algeria, South Africa, Tunisia and Senegal suffered narrow defeats in their opening matches, Africa’s overall performances have underlined the growing competitiveness of its representatives on the global stage.
Panama created better chances for long periods against Ghana and nearly took the lead through Cecilio Waterman, but goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi produced an excellent save to keep the scores level. Jiovany Ramos and Cristian Martinez also came close as the Central Americans threatened to spoil Ghana’s World Cup return.
Carlos Queiroz Credit: Black Stars X Page
Queiroz, who became only the second coach after Bora Milutinovic to lead teams at five consecutive World Cups, turned to his bench in search of a breakthrough. The decision proved decisive.
Substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante burst into the penalty area deep into added time before squaring the ball for Yirenkyi, who calmly tapped home his first international goal to spark wild celebrations among the Ghanaian players and fans.
Semenyo was voted Man-of-the-Match Credit: Black Stars X Page
The victory places Ghana level on three points with England at the top of Group L and gives the Black Stars a strong platform heading into their remaining group matches.
The result also carried historical significance. Ghana’s sixth World Cup victory drew them level with Nigeria as the most successful African nations in World Cup matches. Remarkably, Ghana have achieved the feat in just 16 matches, compared to Nigeria’s 21.
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After seeing Morocco go all the way to the semi-final at the last World Cup, the continent is seeking to make a deeper impact at this one as well.
It is gratifying to se that Africa’s representatives are no longer content with merely participating—they are increasingly competing and delivering results on football’s biggest stage.
Tunde Eludini
Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter : @tundeyeludini
Read the full article at Premium Times Nigeria →📄Source document: PUNCH Sports Extra reports
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The PunchIndependentCenter2 days agoGhana's national football team secured a 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening Group L match of the FIFA World Cup, with Caleb Yirenkyi scoring a last-minute goal. This win brings Ghana to six World Cup victories, matching Nigeria's record. The article notes that both Ghana and Nigeria have six wins each, while Cameroon and Morocco have five wins apiece.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a straightforward report on a sports event without any overtly biased language, framing, or emphasis on political issues. It focuses solely on the outcome of the match and statistical comparisons between African nations in the World Cup.
Official sources cited
- press release PUNCH Sports Extra reports
Premium Times NigeriaIndependentCenter3 days agoGhana secured a 1-0 victory over Panama in the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a last-minute goal by Caleb Yirenkyi. This marked the second win for an African team in the tournament, following Côte d'Ivoire's earlier victory over Ecuador. The article highlights Africa's strong performance so far, including several draws against top teams like Spain, Brazil, Belgium, and Portugal. Despite some African teams suffering narrow losses, the continent's overall showing has been positive.
Bias read (Center): The article provides a balanced summary of the match outcome and broader African performance in the World Cup without taking a political stance or using biased language. It focuses on sports results and does not involve political commentary or controversy.
Premium Times NigeriaIndependentCenter6 days ago World Cup 2026: Diallo seals Africa’s first win as Côte d’Ivoire edge EcuadorAmad Diallo scored a late goal in the 90th minute to give Côte d’Ivoire a 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The win marked Africa's first victory at the tournament. Key moments included shots hitting the woodwork from both teams, with Ecuador coming close in the first half and Côte d’Ivoire responding in the second. Goalkeeper Yahia Fofana made an important save to preserve the lead.
Bias read (Center): The article reports on a sports match without any overt political commentary, framing, or biased language. It focuses on the game events, player performances, and match outcomes without taking a stance or emphasizing any political context.
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