The report says Panama were the sharper side during a tense first half played in the rain. Cecilio Waterman tested Lawrence Ati-Zigi early, while Jiovany Ramos headed over after the Ghana goalkeeper had punched clear.
Ghana struggled to build consistent attacking pressure before the interval. Their best move ended with Marvin Senaya shooting wide, while Antoine Semenyo became increasingly influential after moving into a more central position.
Ghana reportedly improved after half-time and created their first significant opening through Jonas Adjetey, whose header was saved by Orlando Mosquera. The match then opened up, with both teams finding more space in the final third.
Panama continued to threaten through Cristian Martínez, but Ghana gradually produced the greater attacking volume. Jordan Ayew came close before Ramos made a crucial intervention, and Thomas-Asante later had one effort ruled out for offside before forcing another save from Mosquera.
The winning sequence finally arrived in the closing moments. Thomas-Asante found space in behind and delivered for Yirenkyi, who finished the move and turned Ghana’s second-half improvement into three points.
The reported result leaves Ghana alongside England at the summit, adding early tension to the Group L race. For Panama, the narrow defeat underlines how costly missed opportunities can become in a tight World Cup group.
Ghana’s next fixture will offer a clearer test of whether this was a one-off escape or the start of a stronger tournament run. The key storyline will be whether their second-half aggression can be sustained from the opening whistle.