Ghana vs Panama: Result, Stats & Predictions (World Cup 2026)
Ghana snatched a 1-0 win over Panama in the 95th minute through Caleb Yirenkyi, denying Los Canaleros their first ever World Cup point.
17 June 2026
Ghana 1–0 Panama — World Cup 2026 Group L
Result
Ghana secured a dramatic 1–0 win over Panama at BMO Field in Toronto, with Caleb Yirenkyi tapping in from close range in the 95th minute. Brandon Thomas-Asante, who came on as a substitute, drove down the left and cut a low cross into the box, where Yirenkyi arrived to steer the ball home. It was a gut-punch for Panama, who had dominated long stretches of the match and would have deserved a point on the balance of play. Ghana barely had a shot in the first half but survived to steal all three points.
What it means for Last Man Standing pools
This was not a comfortable pick for anyone who backed Ghana. A goalless first half, Panama looking the more threatening side, and Ghana without a meaningful chance until deep into the second half — for much of the night, this looked like a pool-busting result in the making. The 95th-minute goal saved Ghana backers from an embarrassing early elimination. Importantly, Ghana now sit second in Group L alongside England (who beat Croatia 4-2), which sets up a pivotal second match for both African nations. Panama backers, on the other hand, have used their pick for nothing.
Pre-match forecasts
The forecasts rated this a genuinely open contest. Opta's supercomputer gave Ghana a 45.1% win probability from 25,000 pre-match simulations, with Panama winning in 28.1% of outcomes and a draw in 26.8%. Dimers was even more cautious on Ghana, pricing their win at just 37.7%. FanDuel listed Ghana at +135 on the 90-minute money line with Panama at +220 — unusually tight for what looked like a mismatch on paper. The models read this one fairly: it was always going to be close. What nobody forecast was that the only goal would arrive in stoppage time, and that Ghana would go the entire first half without registering a shot.
Standout stats
Ghana had zero shots in the first half, per ESPN match data — a remarkable statistic for a side who went on to win the match. Panama, by contrast, finished with 11 total attempts to Ghana's eight, with four on target compared to Ghana's two. The result means Panama have now lost all four World Cup matches they have ever played, having failed to score in each of their first three (against Belgium, England, and Tunisia in 2018) and now adding this defeat. According to tournament records, Yirenkyi's 95th-minute goal was the latest game-winning goal scored by a sub-Saharan African side in a World Cup group opener. For Carlos Queiroz's Ghana, three points from a performance this unconvincing is a result to build on — not celebrate.
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