Ghana’s all-time leading World Cup scorer Asamoah Gyan has declared the Black Stars’ opening Group L fixture against Panama a must-win game at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, warning that results against England and Croatia become far more manageable once the opener is secured.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s World Cup Central on May 8, Gyan named the June 17 clash in Toronto as the most decisive match of Ghana’s group stage campaign, ahead of far higher-profile contests against England and Croatia.
“This is the most important game we have in the group,” he said.
His reasoning is grounded in tournament psychology. Gyan argued that positive momentum from the Panama result would give Ghana the freedom to compete without the weight of an early setback, while a dropped result in the opener would immediately place the team under pressure in both remaining matches.
The caution he issued about underrating Panama carries particular weight given Ghana’s current squad situation. Attacking midfielder Mohammed Kudus, who scored twice at the 2022 World Cup and was expected to lead Ghana’s attack at this tournament, has been ruled out with a serious hamstring injury. His absence shifts greater responsibility to players including Antoine Semenyo, and makes the Panama opener — on paper the most winnable of the three group fixtures — even more critical to navigate cleanly.
Gyan acknowledged that Ghana hold the statistical advantage over their Central American opponents but stopped well short of treating the result as guaranteed. Panama last appeared at a World Cup in 2018 and qualified through competitive means, and Gyan said his own observations of their play served as a reminder not to be complacent.
Ghana face England on June 23 and close their group stage against Croatia on June 27.
