Ghana have become only the second African nation to record six wins at the FIFA World Cup after edging Panama 1-0 in their opening Group L match on Thursday, equalling Nigeria’s long-standing record.
Caleb Yirenkyi scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner at Toronto Stadium, Canada, to hand the Black Stars all three points and deny Panama their first-ever World Cup point.
With six minutes added on at the end of a tightly contested game, Brandon Thomas-Asante surged down the left flank, beat his marker and squared the ball for Yirenkyi, who tapped home from close range.
The result was harsh on Panama, who matched the four-time African champions for long periods in only their fourth World Cup appearance since making their debut in 2018
The victory puts Ghana top of Group L alongside England ahead of their second group game next Tuesday. More importantly, it takes the Black Stars level with Nigeria as the African teams with the most wins at the World Cup.
Ghana have now won six of their 16 World Cup matches, matching Nigeria’s tally of six victories from 21 games.
Both countries are followed by Cameroon, who have five wins from 26 matches. However, like Nigeria, the Indomitable Lions failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament.
