Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz believes his side can “do something special” after a gritty opening victory over Panama in their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
The Black Stars began their Group L journey with a hard-fought 1-0 win at BMO Field in Toronto, where Caleb Yirenkyi struck late to secure all three points after a largely difficult performance in which Panama controlled much of the contest.
Despite the unconvincing display, Queiroz pointed to his team’s resilience as a sign of promise for the challenges ahead.
“With the âfootball we played today, we can count on Ghana to do something,” he said after the game.
Ghana were forced into an early setback when goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi suffered a collision and was replaced at half-time by Benjamin Asare.
Queiroz admitted uncertainty over Zigi’s availability for the upcoming clash against England.
“Not sure,” Queiroz said. “It is early, and âthis kind of injury, âit is only after 24 to 48 hours that we can be âsure.”
The 73-year-old Portuguese tactician only joined Ghana’s World Cup project in April, replacing Otto Addo, who was dismissed in March following a string of poor results. Queiroz was initially not expected to take charge at the tournament until his late appointment.
The win places Ghana second in Group L behind England, who opened their campaign with a 4-2 victory over Croatia.
Attention now turns to a decisive fixture against England at Gillette Stadium on June 23, before Ghana wrap up their group stage against Croatia four days later. A positive start has raised hopes within the camp of progressing to the knockout stage for the first time since the 2010 World Cup.