90+5' Caleb Yirenkyi scores! Ghana 1-0 Panama
Despite a diffuclt start, a late goal from Caleb Yirenkyi earned Ghana all three points in the game against Panama in the Group L opener at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Caleb Yirenkyi starts as Queiroz names starting XI for Panama
The Black Stars have taken to the pitch at BMO Field for their World Cup Group L opener against Panama, but the familiar faces that Ghanaians had hoped to see leading the charge are conspicuously absent, as Carlos Queiroz navigates a selection crisis of visa complications and untimely injuries.
Thomas Partey, the midfield linchpin whose absence has dominated the pre-tournament narrative, is nowhere to be seen. The Villarreal midfielder was denied entry into Canada due to his ongoing criminal proceedings in London, where he awaits trial over rape and sexual assault allegations.
Court documents revealed that Partey had claimed he was not facing criminal charges in any country, but Canadian authorities saw otherwise. His appeal against the visa refusal was dismissed by a federal court on Tuesday, leaving Queiroz to reshape his midfield without his most experienced operator.
Adding to the woes, Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu were ruled out of the tournament entirely through injury, robbing Ghana of their creative spark and defensive solidity.
Queiroz has responded by placing his faith in youth and the familiar chemistry of the Auxerre contingent. Elisha Owusu and 19-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi form the central midfield pairing, while full-backs Gideon Mensah and Marvin Senaya, all Auxerre teammates, provide the defensive width. Jonas Adjetey and Jerome Opoku are the centre-back pairing, shielding Lawrence Ati-Zigi, who gets the nod in goal ahead of Accra Hearts of Oak's Benjamin Asare and St. Patrick's Athletic's Joseph Anang.
In attack, Queiroz has opted for the experience of captain Jordan Ayew to lead the line, despite the Leicester City forward's recent dip in form at club level.
He is flanked by two of Ghana's most exciting talents: Antoine Semenyo, fresh off a fantastic Premier League campaign with Manchester City, and Kamaldeen Sulemana. Ernest Nuamah, the Lyon forward who can also operate centrally, completes the attacking quartet. Notably, Inaki Williams and Abdul Fatawu have been left out of the starting lineup, raising eyebrows among fans.
The Panamanians, under coach Thomas Christiansen, have assembled a lineup with a far more eclectic spread of clubs, featuring players based in Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the USA, Venezuela, and even as far afield as Azerbaijan, Israel, and Russia. The Panamanian captain, Anibal Godoy, is absent from the lineup without any official explanation for his omission.
