The announcement of the starting lineup brought a surprise as captain Anibal Godoy was left out of the starting eleven, raising questions since no injury reports have surfaced. In total, five players expected to start based on previous predictions are not part of today’s game.
The Panamanian team that will take on Ghana includes: Mosquera; Andrade, Cordoba, Ramos, Blackman; Rodriguez, Martinez, Harvey, Murillo; Waterman, Barcenas (captain).
While most of Ghana’s players compete in top European leagues, Panama’s squad features a diverse array of club affiliations.
Four athletes are currently playing in Mexico, while two players each come from Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the USA, Venezuela, and Panama itself. Additionally, players are also based in Austria, Azerbaijan, England, Honduras, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Uruguay.
As teams prepare to travel to the USA, several have encountered visa complications. Ghana faces a unique situation with midfielder Thomas Partey, who, despite being allowed entry into the USA, was barred from Canada. Legal documents indicate that Partey has claimed no pending criminal charges in any nation; however, he is awaiting trial in London concerning allegations of rape and sexual assault.
Injuries have sidelined Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu from the Ghanaian roster.
The lineup set to compete against Panama includes: Ati-Zigi; Mensah, Adjetey, Opoku, Senaya; Yirenkyi, Owusu; Semenyo, Sulemana, Nuamah; Ayew (captain).
Antoine Semenyo, who was born in London, enters the tournament after a challenging season in the Premier League. Jordan Ayew, who has scored 34 goals in 120 appearances, has also experienced a downturn along with his club, Leicester City.
Lawrence Ati-Zigi will start as the goalkeeper, which means fans will miss out on seeing Joseph Anang from St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland.
Three players from the starting eleven are affiliated with Auxerre: midfielder Elisha Owusu and defenders Gideon Mensah and Marvin Senaya. Additionally, Ernest Nuamah also plays in France, representing Lyon.
Interestingly, another match is currently underway, providing a captivating spectacle.
US supporters may feel uneasy watching this encounter, as both teams have historically delivered crushing defeats to the US National Team.
Ghana eliminated the USA in consecutive World Cups in 2006 and 2010, prior to the USA achieving revenge in 2014.
Panama has emerged as a more recent adversary, prominently featured in the documentary series ‘US Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team.’ The Central American nation has triumphed over the USA in four out of the last five significant encounters, including a World Cup qualifier in 2021, a Gold Cup semifinal in 2023, a group-stage match at the 2024 Copa America, and the 2025 Concacaf Nations League semifinal.
This historical context is unlikely to dampen the spirits of local fans, as the match takes place in Toronto, the smallest venue for this Cup—despite the addition of 17,000 temporary seats.
On paper, Ghana appears to be the favorite; however, US fans can attest to the unpredictability of facing Panama.
