With the match deep into stoppage time at Toronto’s BMO Field, Caleb Yirenkyi pounced to give Ghana a dramatic 1-0 win over Panama, jolting their World Cup campaign to life. The goal, scored in the fifth minute of added time, unleashed a torrent of relief: Ghana’s bench flooded the pitch, and defender Jerome Opoku later admitted he ‘knee-slided’ in celebration despite having no part in the goal. After 90 minutes of grinding patience, the Black Stars had snatched victory from a game that seemed destined for a goalless draw.

The opening exchanges had belonged to Panama, who held the ball and forced Ghana to absorb pressure. Yet Ghana grew as the match wore on. Captain Jordan Ayew noted that the team ‘kept possession much better’ after the break, and the substitutions injected urgency. ‘We fought together as a team and scored the winning goal in the dying minutes,’ Ayew said. Defenders Gideon Mensah and Opoku both emphasised the resilience, with Mensah conceding the noise inside the stadium had made on-field communication difficult in the first half.

The result hoists Ghana alongside England at the summit of Group L, the English having opened with a 4-2 win over Croatia. But Thomas Tuchel’s side carries injury concerns: Bukayo Saka is still managing an Achilles issue and is unlikely to start, while Marcus Rashford reported muscle stiffness. Declan Rice was taken off against Croatia as a precaution. For Ghana, the win provides momentum ahead of their June 23 clash with England at Gillette Stadium – a fixture that could decide the group winner. In Ghanaian football circles, the talk is of repeating their habit of strong second matches: at each of their past four World Cups, the Black Stars have avoided defeat in game two, often reviving a campaign or sealing progress.

England, meanwhile, know victory would all but guarantee passage to the knockout rounds, but defensive frailties exposed by Croatia offer Ghana a path. ‘We know they’ve got good players, but we know our qualities too,’ said Opoku. Ghana are seeking their first last-16 appearance since 2010, and with Croatia still to come, a positive result against England would place qualification firmly in their control. The stage in Foxborough is set for a meeting of two early pace-setters, neither yet flawless but with belief intact.