Ghana have become only the second African nation to reach six FIFA World Cup wins after a late 1-0 victory over Panama in their opening Group L clash on Thursday, drawing level with Nigeria’s long-standing record, The Punch reports.
Caleb Yirenkyi struck in the 95th minute at Toronto Stadium in Canada to secure all three points for the Black Stars, while also denying Panama what would have been their first-ever World Cup point.
Deep into stoppage time, with six minutes added after a closely fought encounter, Brandon Thomas-Asante drove down the left wing, beat his defender and delivered a low cross that Yirenkyi converted from close range.
The defeat was a painful one for Panama, who competed strongly for large spells despite being in only their fourth World Cup appearance since debuting in 2018.
The win sends Ghana to the top of Group L alongside England ahead of their next fixture, but more significantly, it moves the West African side level with Nigeria in the all-time African World Cup wins ranking.
Ghana now boast six victories from 16 World Cup matches, matching Nigeria’s six wins from 21 games.
Behind them are Cameroon, who have recorded five wins from 26 matches. Like Nigeria, the Indomitable Lions did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Morocco sit fourth on the list with five wins from 23 matches and could still surpass Nigeria’s tally during the ongoing tournament.
The Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals at Qatar 2022, setting a new African benchmark.
Senegal also maintain an impressive record, with five wins from 13 matches despite a defeat to France in their 2026 World Cup opener. The Teranga Lions, who debuted in 2002, famously reached the quarter-finals in their first appearance.
Ghana’s World Cup history dates back to 2006 in Germany, where they reached the round of 16 before losing to Brazil. They went further in 2010 in South Africa, reaching the quarter-finals before a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Uruguay in one of the tournament’s most memorable matches.
The Black Stars have qualified for every edition since then, missing only the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Morocco, Cameroon and Nigeria all have longer World Cup histories, with Morocco appearing at seven editions, Cameroon at eight, and Nigeria first entering in 1994.
Since Nigeria’s last appearance in 2018, the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for two consecutive World Cups.
With Nigeria absent from the 2026 tournament, Ghana, Morocco and Ivory Coast all have opportunities to move beyond Nigeria’s six-win record before the competition concludes.
