On the opening matchday of World Cup Group L, Ghana and Panama meet in Toronto. It is a game neither side can afford to lose — with England and Croatia clearly stronger teams in the group, winning the first match is the only way for both sides to keep their hopes of advancing alive. Ghana’s preparations have not gone well. Midfield linchpin Thomas Partey is unavailable because of visa issues, leaving the team’s transition hub ripped out. In their last six warm-up matches, they have recorded one draw and five defeats, with very poor attacking efficiency — they have been kept off the scoresheet in four of their last five games, scoring just once against Austria. The defense has also been hit hard, with first-choice center-backs Djiku and Salisu both sidelined, and the chemistry of the backup back line remains in doubt. New head coach Queiroz only took charge in April this year and is still searching for his best lineup. Panama are by no means a traditional minnow. The Central American side has improved significantly in recent years, finishing as runners-up at both the 2023 Gold Cup and the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League. In pre-tournament warm-ups, they drew 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina and beat the Dominican Republic 4-2, showing solid form. But injuries are also troubling Panama — starting goalkeeper Mejía, midfield anchor Godoy, and Carrasquilla are all out, leaving a key gap in each line. Carrasquilla, in particular, is Panama’s only engine in the switch from defense to attack, and his absence will severely affect the team’s attacking organization. Ghana still have reasons to believe they can win. Manchester City winger Semenyo and Jordan Ayew are the most dangerous attacking outlets up front, and their individual quality is clearly better than Panama’s defense. Although Ghana are missing Partey’s midfield link-up play, they do hold a historical edge against CONCACAF opposition at the World Cup, with two wins and one loss. In terms of experience, this is Ghana’s fifth World Cup appearance, while Panama are taking part only for the second time, and that gap in big-match experience cannot be ignored. All things considered, this is a contest about which side is "less bad." Both teams are missing key players, and both attacks could struggle for efficiency. But Ghana’s quality in the final third should be enough to create one decisive moment in a tight game. A narrow Black Stars victory looks like the more likely outcome.