Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah has praised the determination and resilience of his teammates following Ghana’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The four-time African champions made a winning start to their fifth appearance at the Mundial on Wednesday night at BMO Field, with a late strike from Caleb Yirenkyi securing all three points against the Central American side.
The victory handed Ghana an early advantage in Group L and provided the perfect start to their quest for a place in the knockout stages.
Speaking after the match, Mensah expressed his delight at the team’s positive start and the joy the result has brought to Ghanaians both at home and in the stands.
​”I think it feels very good for us. Obviously, coming to the World Cup for the first game, getting three points feels good for us, the players. I think people back home and the people in the stadium here from Ghana, they’re also happy that we got the first three points.”
The AJ Auxerre defender also revealed that communication among the players was initially difficult because of the noisy atmosphere inside the stadium, but the team regrouped during the interval and maintained their belief that a breakthrough would eventually come.
​”The longer the game went on, it looked as if it was going to be 0-0. Yeah, of course [we kept believing]. I think when the game started, obviously, it was a bit too loud for us to talk on the field. But then in the second half, we made sure that we stayed in the game. So we knew that something was going to happen.”
The left-back admitted that opening matches at major tournaments can often be decided by fine margins and credited Ghana for staying focused and capitalising on their opportunity.
​”Games like this, you never know. It’s either you’re losing 1-0, or you’re winning 1-0. So I think we were on the better side to get a goal.”
The win leaves Ghana in a strong position in Group L with two matches still to play. Otto Addo’s side will next face England at Gillette Stadium on June 23 before concluding their group-stage campaign against Croatia on June 27.
The Black Stars will be aiming to build on their opening victory and secure qualification to the knockout rounds for the first time since their historic quarter-final run at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
