Ghana secured their first win to announce their presence at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following a late winner over Panama on Wednesday in Toronto, BMO Field.
A resilience from the Black Stars ensured they came out victorious after scoring late in the stoppage time, courtesy Caleb Yirenkyi.
Panama dominated play with 64 ball possession, with Ghana having less of the ball yet secured a 1-0 win. The Black Stars endured a difficult evening, against Panama especially their wide attack.
The narrow victory has seen Ghana’s Portuguese trainer Carlos Queiroz applaud the lads, revealing their mental toughness led to the triumph. With Carlos admitting his team were forced to weather long periods without possession before executing their match plan.
“We battled like warriors,” Queiroz told ITV during a post-match interview.
“We won the game with our brains. First, we had to suffer against a great team.
“They know how to play. We knew they would control the game. But step by step, our strategy was to let them come. This is the way to win.”
The result places Ghana second in Group L behind England, who recorded a 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening fixture.
Ghana’s attention now turns to a decisive run of matches, with the Black Stars set to face England at Gillette Stadium on June 23 before wrapping up their group campaign against Croatia on June 27.
A resilience from the Black Stars ensured they came out victorious after scoring late in the stoppage time, courtesy Caleb Yirenkyi.
Panama dominated play with 64 ball possession, with Ghana having less of the ball yet secured a 1-0 win. The Black Stars endured a difficult evening, against Panama especially their wide attack.
The narrow victory has seen Ghana’s Portuguese trainer Carlos Queiroz applaud the lads, revealing their mental toughness led to the triumph. With Carlos admitting his team were forced to weather long periods without possession before executing their match plan.
“We battled like warriors,” Queiroz told ITV during a post-match interview.
“We won the game with our brains. First, we had to suffer against a great team.
“They know how to play. We knew they would control the game. But step by step, our strategy was to let them come. This is the way to win.”
The result places Ghana second in Group L behind England, who recorded a 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening fixture.
Ghana’s attention now turns to a decisive run of matches, with the Black Stars set to face England at Gillette Stadium on June 23 before wrapping up their group campaign against Croatia on June 27.
