Antoine Semenyo has described Ghana’s dramatic 1-0 victory over Panama as a massive confidence boost for the Black Stars after Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time winner secured all three points in their opening FIFA World Cup Group L match.
Yirenkyi struck in the fifth minute of added time to hand Ghana a hard-fought victory in a match that appeared destined to end in a draw. The late goal propelled the Black Stars level on points with England at the top of Group L ahead of a highly anticipated clash between the two sides.
Despite struggling to dominate large portions of the contest, Ghana remained resilient and eventually found the breakthrough when Brandon Thomas-Asante delivered a decisive pass that led to Yirenkyi’s dramatic winner.
Semenyo emerged as Ghana’s most influential attacking player throughout the match, consistently troubling the Panamanian defence and playing a key role in the move that produced the winning goal.
His performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
Reflecting on the dramatic conclusion, Semenyo admitted that the emotions surrounding the late winner were difficult to put into words.
“Ninety minutes plus five, I don’t even know how to describe that emotion,” he said after the match.
“We were all so relieved because we knew how important this game was for us, and also because it gave us a confidence boost going into the next game.”
The forward also praised Ghana’s ability to match Panama physically, noting that the Black Stars embraced the challenge posed by their opponents.
“They had some quite big guys, to be honest, but we like that physicality.
That’s what we thrive off, and I thought it was a really good match-up today,” he said.
“I’m so happy to say that we’ve got that win, but we can’t take our foot off the gas.
We now have two important games and big challenges ahead of us.”
The victory has strengthened Ghana’s hopes of advancing to the knockout stage, but attention has quickly turned to the team’s next assignment against England.
Semenyo acknowledged the magnitude of the encounter, particularly as he prepares to face several familiar opponents from the English Premier League.
“It is going to be really tough, and that is why we needed this win and the confidence to potentially help us into the next round,” he said. “We feel like with this team, we’ve got talent, we’ve got a point to prove, and I feel like that’s the driving force for us.”
With momentum on their side, the Black Stars will be aiming to build on their opening victory when they face England in what could prove to be a decisive Group L showdown.
