Ghana began their World Cup Group L campaign with a dramatic 1-0 win over Panama, sealed deep into added time. Carlos Queiroz described victories at this tournament as costly but felt Ghana were ready to invest. The result also extended Panama’s wait for a first World Cup point.

Panama frustrated Ghana for long spells and controlled many early phases of play. Ghana did not register a single attempt until the 48th minute, after the interval. In Panama’s previous three World Cup games, they had allowed a shot inside the opening 10 minutes of each match.

The breakthrough arrived when Caleb Yirenkyi struck after 94 minutes and four seconds, deciding the contest. That effort is now the latest goal Ghana have scored in a World Cup match, excluding extra time. The dramatic finish gave the Black Stars an ideal start in a demanding group.

Yirenkyi also entered Ghana’s World Cup record books for another reason. At 20 years and 153 days, the forward became the second-youngest scorer for the Black Stars at the tournament. Draman Haminu remains the youngest, after scoring against the United States in 2006 at 20 years and 82 days.

Ghana’s defensive display produced another significant milestone. The clean sheet was only their third in World Cup history and their first after a run of 10 consecutive tournament games without one. The previous shutouts came in wins over Czechia in 2006 and Serbia in 2010.

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Panama’s wider World Cup record remained difficult reading despite an organised display. The team have now lost all four matches played across the 2018 and 2026 tournaments. Across those fixtures, Panama have conceded 12 goals in total and are still searching for their first point on this stage.

Carlos Queiroz spoke of the physical and mental demands on Ghana’s squad after such a late finish. I am tired! That was so tough and so intensive, said Queiroz after Ghana’s late winner. Wins in this World Cup are very expensive, but my players showed that they are ready to pay high prices for wins. Panama played very smart and fast. We had to suffer and show concentration. We kept going and found a right way to win the game. We are growing up as a team and the players understand the game. When the opponent is better, we fight for our lives. With the football that we play, you can count on Ghana to do something.

Panama head coach Thomas Christiansen felt disappointed but insisted the performance contained many positives. The result is painful, but that is because we deserved better, said the Panama boss. We controlled the first half, but in the second half, we played their game a bit more. That’s not how we wanted to play, but now is not the time for regrets. We have two more matches. If we want to get in the next round, we will need a good result against Croatia. We have lessons to learn. At the World Cup, mistakes are expensive. We will not be timid against Croatia. We want to show that Panama is difficult to beat and we will fight until the last breath.

The late winner leaves Ghana encouraged by resilience and defensive stability ahead of tougher Group L tests. Panama must now regroup for the meeting with Croatia, knowing a positive result is vital. Both teams leave the match aware that small details often decide World Cup campaigns.