Charlie Cummings gives his best bet and prediction for the Ghana vs. Panama World Cup match on Wednesday, June 17.
Best Bets: Panama Moneyline +245, Michael Murillo 1+ Assists +900
Truly, I have no idea why Ghana comes in as the favorite here. They have some big names but no results to show for it over the past year. Meanwhile, Panama keeps getting big results and has gone toe-to-toe with much better teams in competitive settings. It’s time for Panama to snag their first-ever World Cup win.
Group L action gets going on Wednesday, concluding with a matchup between Ghana and Panama. Both underdogs in a loaded group, they need every point they can get if they hope to advance to the knockout stages. Let’s get into a preview for both sides and a prediction for the match.
It sure has been a chaotic few months for Ghana. They breezed through World Cup qualifiers in 2025, going 8-1-1 to secure their spot. But they had a terrible run of friendlies, losing five in a row from November 2025 to March 30. So, under three months before the World Cup, they fired manager Otto Addo. Carlos Queiroz took charge, and they proceeded to lose their next friendly before managing a draw. A seven-game winless streak sure isn’t how you want to go into the Cup.
To get the win, they’ll have to lean on their superbly talented attack. Antoine Semenyo is easily their most talented player, but has yet to produce real results for his country, scoring only three goals in 34 career appearances. His opposite number, Iñaki Williams, has played well during the qualifiers. Jordan Ayew is a veteran poacher up top, looking to add to his 34 career goals for his country. His Leicester City teammate, Abdul Fatawu, is a rising star who can play all over the top four.
The problems are everywhere else. The midfield is light on experience, with three of their five available center mids 24 or younger. Kwasi Sibo has often been the reliable veteran in the middle for this Ghana team, but it’s unclear whether Queiroz feels his spot is warranted. With only a two-game sample size to work off for the new head man, predicting lineups is educated guesswork. The youngsters Christopher Bonsu Baah and Caleb Yirenkyi both have strong potential and could inject some needed variability into the squad.
Ghana’s back line took a serious blow with Mohammed Salisu’s ACL tear. The Auxerre teammates, Marvin Senaya and Gideon Mensah, figure to start at the wide back spots. Jonas Adjetey figures to step into the spot vacated by Salisu, with Jerome Opoku opposite him. But they have a plethora of decent options between Alidu Seidu, Abdul Mumin, and Derrick Luckassen.
For Ghana to snatch victory, it’s going to take quite the effort from their defense and opportunistic play from the forwards. In particular, Semenyo needs to step up and create some moments of magic. If the Manchester City star can’t make something happen, they might be out of luck.
This World Cup couldn’t have arrived at a better time for Panama. They’ve been riding high recently, pulling several upsets to make the CONCACAF Nations League final in 2025. Panama hardly gave anything away in the qualifiers, going 7-3-0 to secure their spot in the World Cup. 2018 marked their first-ever qualification for the Cup, and they’re seeking their first win this time around.
Impressively, they’ve come this far without a single player in the top European leagues. It’s just good old-fashioned team play from a bunch of seasoned veterans who have years of playing together. Manager Thomas Christiansen has them absolutely humming.
You could argue that Amir Murillo is their star man. The wing-back loves to create overloads and produced three assists in the CONCACAF qualifiers. Up top, Cecilio Waterman is still getting it done at 35. Anibay Godoy, Christian Martinez, and Adalberto Carrasquilla have played important roles in the central midfield. An extremely physical back line matches their pressing style, with the backs eager to shift into attack. They shift formations, dial the pressure up and down to keep opponents guessing, and play an incredibly cohesive style.
Expect a lot of possession and quick progression moves for Panama. They trust their ability to reclaim possession against anyone, and won’t play hesitantly. The pressure will be on Ghana all night long.
Prediction: This is Panama’s time. The vibes are through the roof for this team, while the Ghanaian vibes are in the gutter. Despite having top-end talent, they don’t play a cohesive brand of ball and are still figuring things out under Queiroz. I’m expecting an end-to-end victory to announce this new era of Panama soccer.
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