'Korean soccer's fist-fist feud': Carlos Queiroz, just two months into his tenure, leads Ghana to a World Cup victory... Ghana defeats Panama 1-0 in a dramatic win

*This content was translated by AI.

Just two months before the opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, 73-year-old Portuguese Carlos Queiroz took charge of the Ghana national team and led them to victory in their first tournament match.

On the 18th (Korean time), Ghana defeated Panama 1-0 in the Group L opener of the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America qualifiers at Toronto Stadium in Canada. As of June, FIFA rankings place Ghana at 73rd and Panama at 34th. With this win, Ghana earned three points (one win), moving into second place in the group behind England (three points, goal difference +2), which had previously defeated Croatia 4-2.

It was truly a dramatic victory. Throughout the first half, Ghana managed only a single shot and was largely controlled by their opponents. First-half ball possession stood at just 36%. The first shot on target came only in the third minute of the second half from a set-piece situation, but it did not result in a goal. Panama, still in control, launched attacks, but the match remained a dull affair.

Just as it seemed the match would end 0-0, Ghana's dramatic goal arrived in the fifth minute of stoppage time in the second half. In a counterattack, Brandon Thomas-Antoine (Coventry City) drove down the left flank and delivered a low cross into the box, which was finished by Caleb Okereke (Nordsjaelland). This goal proved to be the match-winner, securing Ghana's 1-0 victory.

For the first time since the 2010 South Africa tournament, Ghana won their World Cup group-stage opener, raising hopes of advancing from the group stage for the first time in 16 years. Ghana had been eliminated in the group stage at both the 2014 Brazil tournament and the 2022 Qatar tournament. At the 2022 Qatar tournament, despite defeating South Korea 3-2 under Portuguese coach Paulo Bento, Ghana finished last in the group with one win and two losses.

Meanwhile, coach Carlos Queiroz, who leads the Ghana national team, secured a World Cup victory for the team just two months after taking charge. He was appointed as the successor to Otto Addo, who was dismissed in March due to poor results. Until one month before his appointment as Ghana's head coach, Queiroz was leading the Oman national team in the Asian qualifiers for the North America World Cup.

Coach Queiroz is a veteran manager who has been coaching for nearly 40 years, starting with the Portugal U20 national team in 1989. He also had a particularly contentious relationship with Korean football, having led the Iran national team from 2011 to 2019, during which he was involved in sharp press conferences and other controversies. Notably, during the 2014 Brazil World Cup final qualifiers held in Ulsan in 2013, he became the center of controversy for unsportsmanlike behavior, including throwing a fist at the Korean bench alongside coach Choi Kang-hee.

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*This content was translated by AI.