Ghana Leave It Late to Defeat Panama 1-0 in World Cup Opener.

Ghana secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama on Wednesday night, scoring in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to begin its World Cup campaign with three points.

The breakthrough came at BMO Field in Toronto when forward Brandon Thomas-Asante surged down the left flank and delivered a low cross across the face of goal. Caleb Yirenkyi arrived at the far post and tapped the ball home, sparking celebrations among the Ghanaian players and supporters. For much of the match, clear scoring opportunities were scarce. Panama produced the game's first dangerous moment in the second minute when Cecilio Waterman met a cross from Amir Murillo and directed a shot on target, but Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi reacted quickly to make the save. Ati-Zigi was forced off at halftime after suffering several heavy collisions during the opening 45 minutes. Benjamin Asare replaced him in goal for the second half. As the match progressed, both sides began to find more space in attack. In the 65th minute, Thomas-Asante broke through Panama's defense and sent a pass across the six-yard box toward Jordan Ayew, but defender Jiovany Ramos recovered with a crucial tackle to deny a certain scoring chance.

Ghana played without midfielder Thomas Partey, who was unavailable after