Sports
How Black Stars ignited a nation’s wavering faith
The Black Stars got Ghanaians rocking all night on Wednesday after overcoming a doggedly determined Panama side in their Group L clash of the ongoing FIFA 2026 World Cup.
Ghana versus Panama followed the group opener that saw England maul Croatia 4-2 in another entertaining game.
The group opener was more enjoyable as goals flowed like the rains; but Ghana against Panama was something else.
The first half came in two halves as Panama created a lot of tensed moments for the Black Stars who appeared quite sluggish and slow in their build-ups.
Perhaps, they were overawed by the pace and physicality of the Central American side who showed courage, athleticism and some finesse in their control of the game.
Within that period, goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi was Ghana’s brightest performer, pulling some breathtaking saves to deny Panama an early lead.
At this time, the atmosphere became quite placid and anxious with some faithful on their knees, praying for a divine attention.
But when the Black Stars warmed themselves into the game, they showed glimpses of the attributes that made them one of the formidable sides in global football.
They didn’t just control the game; they passed well, they showed they also had pacey men upfront, and most importantly, defended well.
Despite the struggle to create clearer opportunities, they went close with the few that came their way until the referee’s whistle went for half time.
In the second half, the reason why the appointment of Carlos Queiroz as Black Stars coach was celebrated by followers of the game was manifested with his effective substitutions that changed the course of the game.
Benjamin Asare replaced Ati-Zigi and all of a sudden, the Ghana defence suddenly had moments to breathe.
Then came Fatawu Ishahaku who replaced another speedster Kamaldeen Sulemana. He swapped position with Antoine Semenyo who moved to his favourite left side that allows him to perform his cut-ins to deliver his incisive thunderbolts.
At this moment, the right and left full backs of Panama knew no peace. They asked for trouble and Queiroz gave them.
For Brandon Asante, Queiroz would need no prophet to forewarn that he must be a starter against England, a side that requires Ghana to make great use of even the half chances and set pieces because they are blessed with superior talents across the various positions and can harm easily.
As it became a ding dong battle with Panama showing signs of fatigue, one commentator remarked; “At this stage of the game Ghana looks more likely to score.”
That sounded like a folktale to the faint-hearted whose joy had been just the wearing the national jersey and identifying as a patriotic Ghanaian.
In the dying embers of the game, the goal came. Caleb Yirenkyi brutally finished off a brilliant team goal that involved Brandon Asante and Antoine Semenyo in the build-up.
That erupted the vuvuzela sounds, supported by firecrackers; truncating the sleep of both young and old, and those that have jokingly expressed fears about watching the Black Stars since Asamoah Gyan’s ill-fated penalty miss against Uruguay in the 2010 edition in South Africa.
The victory is no indicator that the team is suddenly up there or has ‘arrived’ as is touted in the local parlance.
Admittedly, there is a lot of work to be done and the focus now would certainly be on some of the flaws identified in the first game.
But more importantly, the celebration witnessed across several viewing centres and homes; the joy seen among friends, family and ordinary fans sends one message that Ghanaians still love their national team.
Passing through town some hours after the game, a lot of people were seen shopping for all manner of paraphernalia, obviously to be counted among the real faithful.
And while the fans celebrate, one question resonates across-who is Caleb Yirenkyi?
Such questions may be genuine because he is among a host of the players that are not so familiar to Ghanaian fans because they did not feature for our local clubs in the Ghana League.
For this purpose, this column offers a piece of information about him.
Caleb Marfo Yirenkyi is a midfielder that plays for Danish Superliga club, Nordsjælland.
He was born in Bechem, Ahafo Region, and a product of the Right to Dream Academy, which he joined in 2017 at the age of 11.
Yirenkyi received his first call-up to the Ghana senior national team for the 2025 Unity Cup.
Gradually, he has become an unsung hero in the team having scored just two vital goals for the Black Stars – one against Wales in the last international friendly and the second against Panama.
That said, the Black Stars’ victory seem to have rekindled the faith and belief in the team and Ghana football entirely. This feeling must be sustained when they face England in what could become a defining moment in the campaign.
By Andrew Nortey
Accra Hearts of Oak will aim to assume the top spot of the Ghana Premier League (GPL) when they travel to Tema to face Vision FC at the Nii Adjei Kraku Sports Complex today.
Perched at the second spot and trailing leaders Medeama with three points, the Phobians would need to snatch the maximum points and a superior goal aggregate to have a taste of the top spot, at least for a day.
It will be a game full of fireworks considering Hearts’ impressive performance on the road against Vision’s strength at home.
The Matchday 6 games would also witness a Saturday clash between Heart of Lions and Berekum Chelsea FC at the Kpando Stadium.
Asante Kotoko’s home clash against Young Apostles will headline tomorrow’s games as they aim to bounce back after the previous week’s defeat in Swedru.
At the Nsenkyire Sports Arena, FC Samartex will test Medeama SC’s character when they clash in what could affect their respective positions on the table after the round seven matches.
After the giant-killing feat over Asante Kotoko, Swedru All Blacks will lock horns with Karela United at the Swedru Stadium just as Basake Holy Stars engage Bechem United at the AAK II Sports Arena,
Fireworks is anticipated at the Debibi Presby Park in the Bono region where Debibi United FC look poised to face Gold Stars.
At the Nana Agyemang Badu I Park, Aduana FC will welcome FC Ashantigold in a clash that will see fans applaud afternoon.
By Andrew Nortey
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Over two decades ago, I made a statement that if I was given the sole responsibility to come out with the league fixtures for the season, I could give some advantage to some clubs and make winning the league difficult for other clubs. People laughed it off.
To them, it didn’t make sense because in a league in which all clubs play each other twice, things will ‘balance out,’ and the best club will win. I disagree, and I will explain.
In recent times, it seems Kumasi Asante Kotoko has more difficult first five games in the league than arch rivals Accra Hearts of Oak. Debatable?
This is exactly one of the ways to make it difficult for a club to win the league (if a club is marginally better than the others). How can making the first matches in the league difficult for a club lead to a disadvantage for the club?
A. The club starts on a poor note and may struggle to catch up
Imagine a club playing its first five matches against its most difficult opponents. If the club draws all five matches, it will end up with five points. A rival club that plays its easiest matches in the first five games could end up with 15 points.
It will not be easy for the club with five points to catch up with the club with 15 points because other factors will come in.
B. Psychological ‘boost’ for the winning club and possible stress/’depression’ for the seemingly struggling club
The team that is winning gets a boost. They appear to be better. Their players get confident. Their strikers may be leading on the Goal King chart. Their goalkeeper(s) will be having more clean sheets – finishing matches without conceding goals.
This will be opposite for the team that played more difficult matches. The supporters may be demanding more from the players, putting them under more pressure.
Some of the players may ‘crack’ under the pressure. New players are especially more difficult to settle down. They may end up on the bench for subsequent matches and may struggle to recover and come back into the first team.
C. The coach may be sacked or may resign/leave under pressure
The coach of the club that plays more difficult matches will come under pressure. The coach is likely going to be judged by the points accrued and the position of the club on the league table, not by the quality of opposition faced.
The pressure will come from the bosses and the supporters. The coach may end up being sacked or resigning/leaving under pressure.
D. Players more likely to get injured in tough matches
The club that plays more difficult matches is likely to record more injuries of its players early in the season. Some players may miss the whole season through injuries.
On the other hand, the club that plays easier matches earlier in the season will have the luxury to substitute and rest players when they are comfortably leading in matches.
Players may not have to exert themselves so much, reducing the risk of injuries.
E. Supporters abandon the team that is not winning and may not go to the stadium to give home support
If a club is not winning, its supporters may not pay money to go to the stadium to watch matches. In fact, they may not even go to the stadium if they are asked to go and watch matches for free.
This will not only have financial consequences for the club, an almost empty stadium takes away the home advantage from the ‘intimidation’ of supporters.
The above are all reasons why the first games in the league can give an advantage or a disadvantage to clubs.
Once this it accepted, it means there must be fairness in coming up with the league fixtures if we want the best club(s) to emerge as winners who can represent the country and not disgrace the country internationally.
A transparent way of coming up with the league fixtures is needed (like how balloting is done for knockout competitions).
This way, clubs and individuals cannot complain that someone or some people decided to favour some clubs through the league fixtures.
By Dr. (Med) Kofi Effah
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