Ghana have become only the second African nation to record six wins at the FIFA World Cup after edging Panama 1-0 in their opening Group L match on Thursday, equalling Nigeria’s long-standing record, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Caleb Yirenkyi scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner at Toronto Stadium, Canada, to hand the Black Stars all three points and deny Panama their first-ever World Cup point.
With six minutes added on at the end of a tightly contested game, Brandon Thomas-Asante surged down the left flank, beat his marker and squared the ball for Yirenkyi, who tapped home from close range.
The result was harsh on Panama, who matched the four-time African champions for long periods in only their fourth World Cup appearance since making their debut in 2018.
The victory puts Ghana top of Group L alongside England ahead of their second group game next Tuesday. More importantly, it takes the Black Stars level with Nigeria as the African teams with the most wins at the World Cup.
Ghana have now won six of their 16 World Cup matches, matching Nigeria’s tally of six victories from 21 games.
Both countries are followed by Cameroon, who have five wins from 26 matches. However, like Nigeria, the Indomitable Lions failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament.
Morocco sit fourth on the list with five wins from 23 matches and could also surpass Nigeria’s record during the tournament. The Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals in Qatar 2022, setting a new benchmark for African teams at the World Cup.
Senegal, despite losing their opening game against France at the 2026 World Cup, boast one of the best win ratios among African nations, with five victories from just 13 matches. The Teranga Lions made their World Cup debut in Korea/Japan 2002 and famously reached the quarter-finals.
Ghana’s World Cup journey began in Germany 2006, where they reached the round of 16 before losing to Brazil. They improved on that feat in South Africa 2010, reaching the quarter-finals and suffering a heartbreaking penalty-shootout defeat to Uruguay after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history.
The Black Stars have qualified for every World Cup since then except the 2018 edition in Russia.
Cameroon, Nigeria and Morocco boast longer World Cup histories. Morocco have featured at seven editions — 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022 and 2026.
Cameroon made their debut in 1982 and have since appeared at the 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2022 tournaments.
Nigeria’s World Cup story began in 1994, followed by appearances in 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Since their group-stage exit in Russia, the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for two consecutive editions.
With Nigeria absent from the 2026 tournament, Ghana, Morocco and Ivory Coast all have the opportunity to move past the Super Eagles’ record of six World Cup wins before the competition ends.
