Efan Ekoku
Former Nigeria striker on BBC 5 Radio Live

I'd like to see Carlos Queiroz give the wider players licence not to do so much defensive work.

I'd like Jordan Ayew to stay inside the Panama half and bring his team-mates in to play.

He has always been pretty good at that.

Lee James
BBC World Service Sports Presenter in Toronto

I can spot a few ponchos being worn by the fans in the huge temporary stands behind each goal.

There’s rain falling and it’s a chilly evening in Toronto below 20°C….so the players will need to keep warm as boos ring out from the fans for the hydration break.

It is raining - and yet we still now have a three-minute hydration break.

It is all a bit farcical, with a large number of fans from around the stadium booing the halt in play.

The hydration breaks were brought in for those stadiums where the matches are played in really hot conditions, but it is fair to say they are not overly popular with the fans.

Kamaldeen Sulemana, who had a two-year spell with Southampton, releases Ernest Nuamah down the left and he crosses into the middle for Ghana, but it is headed away by Jovany Ramos at the near post.

We're yet to see Antoine Semenyo make his mark, but plenty of time for him to do that.

Efan Ekoku
Former Nigeria striker on BBC 5 Radio Live

I don't think [Ghana head coach] Carlos Queiroz will be overly concerned right now.

He gets the tag of being a cautious and defensive coach but I don't think he likes that.

He's just concerned about winning and losing and doing whatever it takes for his team to get across the line.

Ghana have got the greater firepower today. If Antoine Semenyo and Jordan Ayew see enough of the ball, they can take advantage of it.

Image source, Getty Images

An early booking for Ghana's Caleb Yirenkyi as he was late to a challenge with Yoel Barcenas and all he can do is trip him up.

Cecilio Waterman's shot on target for Panama after 106 seconds is the second-earliest shot on target in the 2026 World Cup so far, after Edmílson Junior for Qatar against Switzerland (103 seconds).

We haven't had a shot on target from either side since.

Image source, Getty Images

Jose Luis Rodriguez looks a handful down the left for Panama and he gets a yard and sends in a tasty cross, but none of his team-mates can convert the chance.

Lee James
BBC World Service Sports Presenter in Toronto

The last time Carlos Queiroz was in charge at a World Cup, his Iran team suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to USA.

Now the 73 year old is stood on the edge of his technical area at his fifth consecutive World Cup with his Ghana team on the back foot early in this match.

Large parts of the Toronto Stadium are not under cover so a lot of fans are taking a soaking. But it is the World Cup and everyone in the stands seems to be making the most of it and looking to party.

Panama's starting XI against Ghana features three players who were part of their last World Cup appearance in 2018: Yoel Bárcenas, José Luis Rodríguez and Amir Murillo.

Image source, Getty Images

Efan Ekoku
Former Nigeria striker on BBC 5 Radio Live

Superb cross from the right-hand side and Lawrence Ati Zigi was forced into an acrobatic save.

Nice early action, it's a great attempt from Cecilio Waterman and forced the goalkeeper into a great save.

Panama almost score inside the opening two minutes. It is their first attack and the ball is played in nicely from the right wing and Cecilio Waterman gets in front of his marker to hook an attempt at goal.

it would've been a really good goal too, but Ghana keeper Lawrence Ati Zigi flings himself to his right to push the ball away.

Ghana, in all yellow, get the game started, with Panama all in red.

Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera gets an early touch and you feel he will need to be on form if his country are to avoid defeat for the first time in a World Cup finals match.

Efan Ekoku
Former Nigeria striker on BBC 5 Radio Live

A fantastic opportunity tonight for Panama to get themselves a point or even all three.

This is by no means a vintage Ghanaian squad in the last four or five years so they will feel this is their best opportunity for them to get their World Cup running.

Two more difficult games, on paper at least, against England and Croatia to come.

Image source, Getty Images

A bit of rain comes just as the game is about to start.

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport

Panama are approaching their second World Cup with far greater ambition than their first, in 2018. "We're not going for a selfie," says transformative head coach Thomas Christiansen.

The focus is on beating Ghana in their opening group match, knowing it would all-but guarantee a place in the last 32.

Christiansen has implemented the same possession-based style he learned as a young Barcelona player under Johan Cruyff. There's an emphasis on structured attacking patterns, with width key.

Above all, he's given the national team an identity, something they never previously had in a country where baseball remains king.

Christiansen appears to have settled on a 3-4-2-1 formation in possession, which will become 5-4-1 when defending.

Panama are well organised, disciplined, hard working and a genuine threat from set pieces, but there's a stark lack of attacking quality in open play, both in terms of creating and taking chances.

Lee James
BBC World Service Sports Presenter in Toronto

Not been an easy build-up for Ghana with major injuries ruling out centre backs Mohammed Salisu and Alexander Djiku.

The loss of their star playmaker Mohammed Kudus is a massive blow and then Thomas Partey was denied entry to Canada.

So it’s an unfamiliar midfield pairing of highly rated 20-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi and Elisha Owusu playing together for the first time for Ghana.

Paul Birch
BBC Sport

Antoine Semenyo's dream season culminated in him scoring one of the great FA Cup final goals. The two-footed winger became only the second man after Andy Cole to score 10 or more goals in all competitions for two different teams within the same Premier League season.

After being used at right-back by former coach Otto Addo, fans are hoping Carlos Queiroz frees-up 20 year-old Caleb Yirenkyi to play box-to-box from central midfield given how well he's performed in the Danish Superliga for FC Nordsjaelland.

Skipper Jordan Ayew drew level with brother Andre on 120 caps as Ghana's record cap holder versus Wales on 4 June. He scored more goals in qualifying (seven in 10) than he did for Leicester this season (six in 45). He has been released by the Foxes after their relegation into League One.

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