Ghana survived a relentless first-half onslaught from Panama as the two sides went into the break locked at 0-0 in a fiercely contested FIFA World Cup Group L encounter.
Panama controlled possession for long spells and pinned the Black Stars deep inside their own half, leaving Ghana with little room to build attacks or threaten going forward. The West Africans struggled to retain the ball and failed to register a meaningful effort on the Panamanian goalkeeper before the interval.
The Black Stars’ backline endured wave after wave of pressure, with goalkeeper Ati Zigi emerging as Ghana’s standout performer. The shot-stopper was repeatedly called into action and showed great courage despite suffering two heavy collisions while dealing with Panama’s dangerous attacks.
Although Panama created the better openings, Ghana’s defence stood resilient to preserve parity heading into halftime. Carlos Queiroz’s men will need a much-improved second-half display if they are to wrestle control of the contest and challenge a confident Panamanian side.
