World Cup 2026: Caleb Yirenkyi Breaks Asamoah Gyan Record After Ghana’s Late Panama Win
- Black Stars youngster Caleb Yirenkyi became Ghana’s latest World Cup hero after scoring a dramatic late winner against Panama
- The 20-year-old showed composure beyond his years, producing a memorable debut performance on football’s biggest stage
- Ghana secured a crucial opening victory in Group L and gained confidence ahead of challenging matches against England and Croatia
Caleb Yirenkyi made Ghanaian football history after scoring a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Panama in the Black Stars’ opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The youngster struck deep into added time to break a tense 0-0 deadlock at BMO Field in Toronto, delivering a priceless victory for Carlos Queiroz’s side.
Source: Getty Images
Panama proved to be a difficult opponent throughout the match, frustrating Ghana with their organisation and defensive discipline as they searched for their first-ever World Cup point after three previous appearances.
The Central American side successfully limited the influence of Antoine Semenyo, who had been expected to play a key role in Ghana’s attack.
Ghana struggled to create chances early on and failed to register a single shot in a cautious first half. However, they found the breakthrough when it mattered most.
Coventry City forward Brandon Thomas-Asante, introduced as a substitute, created the decisive moment after finding space on the left wing. His low cross into the box found Yirenkyi, who forced the ball over the line to send the Ghana supporters into celebration.
The goal secured three important Group L points for Ghana and immediately placed Yirenkyi among the nation’s World Cup greats.
Yirenkyi surpasses Asamoah Gyan’s long-standing record
By scoring at the age of 20 years and 153 days, Yirenkyi became Ghana’s youngest-ever World Cup goalscorer.
The midfielder narrowly broke a record that had stood for exactly 20 years, previously held by legendary Black Stars striker Asamoah Gyan.
Source: Getty Images
Gyan was 20 years and 207 days old when he scored Ghana’s first-ever World Cup goal against the Czech Republic at the 2006 tournament.
Yirenkyi’s achievement also moved him ahead of Mohammed Kudus, who became Ghana’s third-youngest World Cup scorer when he found the net against South Korea in 2022 at 22 years and 118 days old.
The historic strike also made Yirenkyi the 10th different Ghanaian player to score at a World Cup, while taking the Black Stars’ overall tournament goal tally to 19.
Ghana start World Cup campaign with vital momentum
Yirenkyi’s late winner did more than break records — it gave Ghana a perfect start to their Group L campaign.
The victory puts the Black Stars in a strong position heading into their next fixtures, with a major test awaiting against England on June 23 in Boston.
Ghana will then complete their group stage campaign against Croatia on June 27 as they aim to continue their push towards the knockout stages.
For Yirenkyi, the night will be remembered as the moment he announced himself on football’s biggest stage and etched his name into Ghana’s World Cup history.
Source: YEN.com.gh
