Ghana have matched Nigeria’s record for the most FIFA World Cup wins by an African nation after beating Panama 1-0 in their opening Group L match at the 2026 tournament.
Caleb Yirenkyi scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time at Toronto Stadium. His late strike gave the Black Stars all three points and denied Panama a historic result.
Late Goal Seals Victory
The match looked set to end in a draw before Ghana struck in added time.
Brandon Thomas-Asante made a strong run down the left wing and beat his defender. He then squared the ball into the box for Yirenkyi, who tapped into an empty net from close range.
The goal sparked celebrations among Ghanaian fans inside the stadium.
Panama will feel unlucky. The Central American side matched Ghana for most of the game and came close to earning their first World Cup point.
Ghana Join Nigeria in the Record Books
The victory moved Ghana level with Nigeria as the African teams with the most World Cup wins.
The Black Stars have now won six of their 16 matches at the tournament. Nigeria also have six wins, but from 21 matches.
The result also put Ghana level on points with England at the top of Group L ahead of their next group match.
Other African Nations Close Behind
Cameroon sit third among African nations with five World Cup wins from 26 matches.
Morocco also have five victories and could break the record during the 2026 tournament. The Atlas Lions made history in Qatar 2022 when they became the first African team to reach a World Cup semi-final.
Senegal have also recorded five wins. They achieved the feat in only 13 matches, giving them one of the best win rates among African countries.
Ghana’s World Cup Journey
Ghana first appeared at the World Cup in Germany in 2006. They reached the Round of 16 before losing to Brazil.
The Black Stars improved on that performance in South Africa in 2010. They reached the quarter-finals and came within a penalty shootout of becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
They have qualified for every World Cup since then, except the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Chance to Set a New Record
With two group matches still to play, Ghana have a chance to move ahead of Nigeria and become the African nation with the most World Cup wins.
The Black Stars have already made history by drawing level with the Super Eagles. Their next goal will be to stand alone at the top of the African World Cup record list.
