In a surprising twist during the lineup announcement, Captain Anibal Godoy is missing from the starting eleven for Panama, with no indication of an injury. Overall, five players anticipated to start, as noted in our team guide, will not feature today.
The Panamanian starting lineup set to compete against Ghana includes: Mosquera; Andrade, Cordoba, Ramos, Blackman; Rodriguez, Martinez, Harvey, Murillo; Waterman, Barcenas (captain).
While many of Ghana’s players are based in prominent European leagues, Panama’s roster boasts a more diverse array of club affiliations.
Four of the Panamanian squad play in Mexico, while two players each hail from Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the USA, Venezuela, and Panama itself. Additionally, players are positioned in Austria, Azerbaijan, England, Honduras, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Turkey, and Uruguay.
As teams make their way to the USA, several have encountered visa complications, but Ghana presents an unusual case. Midfielder Thomas Partey, currently with Villarreal after a long tenure at Arsenal, is permitted in the USA but barred from entering Canada. Court documents reveal that while Partey claimed he faced no criminal charges in any nation, he is awaiting trial in London concerning serious allegations.
Injuries have sidelined Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu from the Ghanaian roster.
The lineup set to take the field against Panama is: Ati-Zigi; Mensah, Adjetey, Opoku, Senaya; Yirenkyi, Owusu; Semenyo, Sulemana, Nuamah; Ayew (captain).
London-born Antoine Semenyo enters the tournament following a challenging season in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Jordan Ayew, who has scored 34 goals in 120 appearances, faces a slump alongside his club, Leicester City.
Lawrence Ati-Zigi will start in goal, which means fans will miss out on seeing Joseph Anang from St. Patrick’s Athletic in Ireland.
Three members of the starting eleven are affiliated with Auxerre: midfielder Elisha Owusu and defenders Gideon Mensah and Marvin Senaya. Additionally, Ernest Nuamah is also playing in France with Lyon.
As a side note, another match is currently in progress, presenting quite a spectacle.
US supporters might feel uneasy witnessing this matchup, given the historical context. Both Ghana and Panama have delivered significant defeats to the US national team over the years.
Ghana eliminated the USA from the World Cup in 2006 and 2010 before the US team gained revenge in 2014. Meanwhile, Panama has recently emerged as a challenging adversary, prominently featured in the documentary series ‘US Against the World: Four Years with the Men’s National Soccer Team.’ They have triumphed over the US in four of the last five significant encounters, including a World Cup qualifier in 2021, a Gold Cup semifinal in 2023, a 2024 Copa America group-stage match, and the 2025 Concacaf Nations League semifinal.
However, for the home fans gathered here, the game’s location in Toronto, the smallest venue of the tournament after the addition of 17,000 temporary seats, is what matters most.
On paper, Ghana is considered the favorite in this matchup, but US fans can attest to the unpredictability of facing Panama.
