Ghana Snatch Stoppage-Time Victory Over Panama in World Cup Group L

Panama, however, were not without their opportunities to snatch a first-ever World Cup victory. They pushed hard and came close through Cristian Martínez and Ismael Díaz late in the game but were unable to find the finishing touch to beat Asare .

Yirenkyi’s Decisive Moment

With the clock ticking deep into second-half stoppage time, the game was on a knife's edge. It was then that Caleb Yirenkyi etched his name into Ghanaian World Cup folklore. In the fifth minute of added time, a swift attacking move saw Brandon Thomas-Asante break free on the left side. He skipped past a defender and fired a low, precision cross across the face of the goal . Yirenkyi, perfectly positioned, tapped the ball into the net from close range to spark wild celebrations among his teammates and the thousands of Ghanaian fans in Canada's largest city .

“I ran forward and then hoped to see what comes,” Yirenkyi said after the match. “I got the ball in the box and finished” .

The dramatic goal not only gave Carlos Queiroz's side an opening win but also extended a miserable statistic for their opponents: Panama’s winless record at World Cups continues, as they were denied what would have been their first-ever point or victory in the tournament .

Group L Standings: England Sets the Pace

Ghana's late heroics, combined with the day's earlier fixture, have produced a tightly poised Group L table. England began their campaign with an emphatic 4-2 victory over Croatia in Dallas, a match that saw Harry Kane score a brace .

After the first matchday, England and Ghana sit level on points, but the Three Lions' superior goal difference places them at the top.

The next set of fixtures will see Ghana face England in a crucial top-of-the-table clash, while Panama and Croatia will battle for their first points of the tournament . With the possibility of even third-placed teams advancing to the round of 32, every point in this group is already proving to be immensely valuable .