Ghana vs Panama: Top five players to watch out for in FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. Jordan Ayew & Victor Griffith

Ghana have failed to make it out of the group stage in the last three FIFA World Cups.

Two Group L sides in Panama and Ghana will go head-to-head in the Toronto Stadium to kickstart their respective FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns.

This is Panama’s second qualification for the World Cup, whereas Ghana have been a regular in the tournament since 2006. Here are the top five players to watch in the game between Ghana and Panama:

Jordan Ayew (Ghana)

Jordan Ayew is Ghana’s second-highest goalscorer behind the legendary Asamoah Gyan. The 34-year-old has scored 34 goals in 96 appearances. Jordan was on-fire for Ghana in the CAF World Cup qualifiers as he scored 7 goals and provided 7 assists in 10 games.

However, his 2025-26 season was horrible with Leicester City as he managed to score just 6 goals in 45 games as the Foxes were relegated to the English third division. With this being Jordan Ayew’s last World Cup, expect the player to be fired up on the pitch as he looks to regain his form.

Ismael Diaz (Panama)

The 29-year-old is Panama’s top scorer in the current squad with 18 goals in 56 appearances for his nation. Ismael Diaz currently represents Leon in the Mexican league and has previously played club football in Chile, Portugal, and Panama as well.

Ismael is versatile with respect to his positioning and can play anywhere on the field, though he is primarily a left winger. The Leon player, alongside Panama’s striker Cecilio Waterman, will be their two biggest threats in attack.

Abdul Fatawu (Ghana)

Another Leicester City player that is part of Ghana’s squad, Abdul Fatawu, was somewhat decent in the 2025-26 season as he scored 9 goals and had 7 assist contributions in 44 English Championship games.

Abdul Fatawu has represented Ghana 23 times in his short career and also has 3 international goals to his name. With Jordan Ayew down on confidence, Fatawu’s emergence on the wings might just be what Ghana needs against Panama and the rest of the teams in their FIFA World Cup 2026 group.

Victor Griffith (Panama)

The central midfielder currently plays for Ecuadorian club Emelec. The 25-year-old has made 20 appearances for his nation, and he also has some experience of playing in US and Canadian conditions as he has previously played for the MLS club Portland Timbers.

Victor Griffith’s responsibility against Ghana will majorly be to make interceptions in midfield and build the tempo in attack for Panama.

Jerome Opoku (Ghana)

Jerome Opoku plays in the Turkish Super League with Istanbul Besaksehir and has made 115 appearances over the last three seasons. The centreback is sturdy in defence and he will have a massive height advantage over the other players, especially in corners both for and against Ghana.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.