Ghana kick-starts their World Cup campaign against Panama on Wednesday, knowing that three points are absolutely vital.
The Black Stars face a steep historical hurdle, having won only one of their last seven World Cup games. Newly appointed head coach Carlos Queiroz wants to quickly establish structural stability within his talented squad. Ghana suffered a miserable pre-tournament run, remaining winless in their last seven fixtures.
Their defensive organisation looked fragile during a heavy 5-1 friendly defeat against Austria recently. Queiroz must rectify these issues quickly, as Ghana have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 World Cup matches.
Ghana team news
Queiroz faces an unexpected selection headache after Thomas Partey was denied a visa by the Canadian government. The influential midfielder remains in Boston but hopes to feature against England and Croatia later this month.
In his absence, Elisha Owusu and Emmanuel Yirenkyi will partner in the central engine room. Lawrence Ati-Zigi will start in goal behind a restructured four-man defensive line.
Sensational playmaker Mohammed Kudus will pull the creative strings from an advanced midfield position. Up front, veteran captain Jordan Ayew will lead the attack after netting seven goals in qualifying. Leicester City’s attacker will receive explosive support from wide forwards Ernest Nuamah and Antoine Semenyo.
Semenyo arrives in world-class form after a prolific domestic season in the English Premier League. However, the forward must improve his international record after scoring just three goals in 34 caps. Ghana will look to use their superior individual quality to unlock a compact Panamanian defence.
Ghana predicted lineup
Ghana predicted XI: Ati-Zigi; Senaya, Adjetey, Opoku, Mensah; Owusu, Yirenkyi, Nuamah, Boakye, Semenyo; Ayew.
When will the match kick off?
The FIFA World Cup group match at Toronto Stadium kicks off at 00:00 BST on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.
How to watch Ghana vs Panama?
Television viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the broadcast live on ITV1 and stream via ITVX. Football fans in the United States can follow the full match live on Fox Sports.
Read more – Ghana: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule
See Also- Panama: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule
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