Sabasports Match Preview
World Cup: Ghana vs Panama
Kickoff Time: 2026-6-18 7:00 (HKT)
With only two months remaining until the World Cup kicks off, Ghana made a shocking call to the outside world: the Ghana Football Association terminated the contract of national head coach Otto Addo, before appointing 73-year-old Portuguese veteran Carlos Queiroz as his successor. This move is undoubtedly a massive gamble for the Ghanaian FA. Thomas Partey stands as the undisputed linchpin of Ghana’s squad. Though advancing in age, his top-flight European experience makes him the metronome that dictates Ghana’s transition between defence and attack. As the side’s sole world-class midfielder, his responsibilities include shielding the backline, cutting off horizontal passing lanes, and safely distributing possession to the forward line. Across their five straight defeats, Partey looked subdued, lacking the midfield dominance he has displayed in past campaigns. That said, Queiroz’s arrival could reignite his competitiveness, for the veteran manager’s defensive framework is tailor-made to bring out Partey’s greatest strengths. Furthermore, Kwasi Sibo, Elisha Owusu, Richmond Boakye and other teammates excel in physical duels and carry decent ability to drive forward with the ball, making them ideal supporting partners alongside Partey. Queiroz favours a counter-attacking 4-5-1 formation. His midfield unit holds the upper hand in physical battles and ball-winning interceptions yet lacks creative output; the squad has no natural number ten capable of delivering killer through balls. During their five-game losing streak, Ghana were not short of shooting chances, but their frontline suffered from abysmally low conversion rates.
Panama is a bona fide small football nation, and this marks their second appearance on the World Cup stage. Still, their qualification was no stroke of luck. In the third round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers, they stormed through the group undefeated with three wins and three draws, securing an automatic World Cup berth as group winners. The catalyst behind Panama’s dramatic transformation is head coach Thomas Christiansen. Over his six years at the helm, he lifted the side from a FIFA ranking of 87th all the way to their current 33rd place, having peaked at 29th. Christiansen has completely rebuilt Panama’s tactical identity. He prioritises controlling match tempo, building attacks from the back, and enforces rigorous standards for high pressing up front. Christiansen deploys a defensive counter-attacking 5-4-1 system. His five-man backline is far more than just extra defensive numbers: in match situations, he demands every player compact space collectively, denying opposition strikers one-on-one chances against defenders, blocking penetrative runs through half-spaces, and shutting down wide attacking surges. Panama’s centre-backs boast exceptional height, granting them a natural edge in aerial duels. Operating off a densely packed rearguard, Panama rely heavily on counter-attacks. During the qualifying campaign, they averaged just around 40% possession yet generated plenty of goal-scoring opportunities, highlighted by their haul of 10 goals in the second round and 9 goals in the third. Wide forwards Ismael Díaz and Murillo act as the primary outlets for launching counter-attacks; both possess blistering pace and solid dribbling skill.
Over recent years, Panama have seen marked improvements in both squad quality and tactical awareness, backed by solid showings in their preceding friendly fixtures. By contrast, Ghana’s backline is generally youthful with limited experience in elite European leagues. Throughout their five consecutive losses, Ghana’s defenders repeatedly committed elementary errors such as mistimed offside traps and leaving opposition players unmarked inside the penalty area. Taking all factors into account, Panama are tipped to pick up points in this fixture.
Ghana ‘s Last 5 Games: DLLLLL
26-06-03 Wales 1-1 Ghana
26-05-23 Mexico 2-0 Ghana
26-03-31 Germany 2-1 Ghana
26-03-28 Austria 5-1 Ghana
25-11-18 South Korea 1-0 Ghana
Panama ‘s Last 5 Games: DWLWD
26-06-07 Panama 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
26-06-04 Panama 4-2 Dominican Republic
26-06-01 Brazil 6-2 Panama
26-04-28 South Africa 1-2 Panama
25-03-28 South Africa 1-1 Panama
Prediction: Panama to win away or draw