Ernest Nuamah Starts Ghana’s World Cup Opener Against Panama
ernest nuamah started for Ghana in its World Cup Group L opener against Panama at BMO Field in Toronto after nearly a year out with an ACL rupture. Carlos Queiroz named him in the starting XI despite recent injury concerns, a sign Ghana is leaning on a winger who had played only 32 minutes of competitive club football this season.
Nuamah and Queiroz at BMO Field
Nuamah’s selection put him directly back into a major tournament match after his recovery from an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The 22-year-old had been out nearly a year, yet he was trusted to begin a game that Ghana viewed as one of the hardest lineup calls of the opening round.
That trust came after he impressed in Ghana’s 1-1 friendly draw with Wales on June 2. He came on in the second half, forced a save from Karl Darlow, and Caleb Yirenkyi followed the rebound, hit the post, and scored to give Ghana the lead.
Ghana’s attacking setup
Nuamah was expected to provide support for Kamaldeen Sulemana, Jordan Ayew, and Antoine Semenyo. Inaki Williams started on the bench, leaving Queiroz to use Nuamah’s pace, power, and direct running against Panama’s defensive shape from the opening whistle.
The decision also tied back to the coach himself. Nuamah had mentioned Queiroz during his interview for the Black Stars job, and an Executive Council Member of the Ghana Football Association said Queiroz had reviewed Nuamah’s records and believed he would be fully fit to contribute. Those details explain why a player with so little recent club action was still placed in the front line for a World Cup opener.
Ghana’s selection call
For Ghana, the move is less about caution than immediate use. Nuamah’s 32 club minutes this season offered a thin recent sample, but his role at BMO Field showed that Queiroz was willing to trade match sharpness for the attacking threat he had already shown against Wales.
That leaves Ghana with a clear selection marker from its first Group L match: Nuamah is back in the starting picture, and Williams is not. The lineup choice gives Queiroz one of his fastest attacking options from the start and shows how much weight Ghana is putting on a player just back from a long layoff.
