Yirenkyi Joins Ghana’s Elite World Cup goalscorers with late Panama winner

Caleb Yirenkyi has earned his place among Ghana’s World Cup greats after scoring the dramatic winner against Panama to become just the 10th Black Stars player to score at a FIFA World Cup.

The 20-year-old midfielder wrote his name into Ghanaian football history when he struck deep into stoppage time to secure a 1-0 victory in Ghana’s opening Group L match at the 2026 World Cup in Toronto.

While the goal handed the Black Stars a crucial three points, it also elevated Yirenkyi into one of the most exclusive groups in Ghanaian football, the select list of players who have scored for the country on the world’s biggest stage.

Since Ghana’s first World Cup appearance in 2006, only nine players had previously managed the feat.

Leading that distinguished list is Asamoah Gyan, whose six goals remain the most by any Ghanaian and the highest tally by an African player in World Cup history. Former captain André Ayew follows with three goals, while Sulley Muntari and Mohammed Kudus have each scored twice.

Stephen Appiah, who netted Ghana’s first-ever World Cup goal in Germany in 2006, is also among the names etched into Black Stars history. Haminu Draman, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Mohammed Salisu and Osman Bukari complete the list of players who had previously scored at the tournament.

Now, Yirenkyi has joined them.

His strike against Panama became Ghana’s 19th World Cup goal and ensured the Black Stars reached double figures for individual scorers at the global showpiece.

What makes the achievement even more remarkable is Yirenkyi’s age. At just 20 years and 153 days old, he became the second youngest Ghanaian ever to score at a World Cup, after Haminu Draman’s goal against the Czech Republic in 2006.

For a player making his World Cup debut, the moment could hardly have been scripted better.

As Ghana searched desperately for a breakthrough, Yirenkyi remained composed when the opportunity arrived, reacting quickest inside the penalty area to send the ball into the net and spark jubilant celebrations.

More than just a winning goal, it was a strike that secured his place alongside some of the most celebrated names in Ghanaian football history.

From Appiah and Gyan to Ayew and Kudus, Ghana’s World Cup goalscorers have produced some of the country’s finest moments on the international stage. After his heroics against Panama, Caleb Yirenkyi can now proudly count himself among them.

Jamaldeen Wiayuka

See Full Bio