2026 World Cup: Ghana v Panama preview

Ghana v Panama 

Group L

Venue: BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Date: Wednesday, June 17 2026

Kick-off: 11:00 PM Ghana Time

Ghana will commence their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign on Wednesday in Toronto against CONCACAF side Panama. The Black Stars have been living in the shadow of their former self and can take this huge opportunity to boost the confidence of supporters.

The Black Stars performed much to the satisfaction of everyone in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups but failed to impress in the 2024 and 2022 editions in Brazil and Qatar, respectively, finishing outside the top two on both occasions, disappointingly.

73-year-old Portuguese head coach Carlos Queiroz, who was appointed after Ghana’s disastrous run of four consecutive defeats in international friendly games under Otto Addo in March 2026, has played just one game with the team. The 1-1 draw against Wales was the only time the veteran tactician has gotten the opportunity to meet his players.

Experienced players like Mohammed Kudus, Alexander Djiku and Mohammed Salisu are all missing for Ghana. The trio’s absence due to injuries is a big blow to Ghanaians, as they were all going to start had they been around.

Veteran midfielder Thomas Partey was not allowed to enter Canada due to his criminal cases in court in London under Canadian laws, which do not allow people to enter the country if they have a criminal case at court in any part of the world. The news was met with disappointment from Ghanaians because the midfielder will be missed against Panama.

Group L contains heavyweights England and Croatia, so both Ghana and Panama know how significant this fixture is – win and stand a chance to finish second or third, where you can stand a chance to progress to the knockout stage.

Panama will be participating in only their second-ever World Cup appearance, following their debut in Russia in 2018. They will be hunting for their first-ever World Cup match victory after England, Belgium and Tunisia broke them into pieces.

They qualified for the 2026 World Cup in impressive fashion, going unbeaten in their six qualifying matches — though they benefited from the United States, Canada, and Mexico’s absence from CONCACAF qualifying.

Under Thomas Christiansen, who has coached Panama since 2020, they have built a team identity rooted in defensive shape and set-piece organisation. Panama rose to 34th in the FIFA world rankings after beating the United States, South Africa, and Jamaica in the last 18 months.

The North Africans defend in numbers and carry a counter-attacking threat that has already troubled bigger nations at the Gold Cup and Copa America; hence, Ghana must be aware of their threat.

Probable line-ups

Ghana

4-2-3-1

Ati Zigi (GK)

Senaya, Adjetey, Opoku, Mensah (DF)

Yirenkyi, Sibo (DM)

Issahaku, Sulemana, Semenyo (AMF)

Ayew (ST)

Panama

3-4-3

Mosquera (GK)

Andrade, Ramaos, Córdoba (CB)

Davis, Harvey, Martinz, Murillo (MF)

Díaz, Fajardo, Rodríguez