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Ghana beat Panama 1–0 in chaotic, charged World Cup Group L match
Ghana’s fans and players celebrated wildly as Caleb Yirenkyi finished a sweeping counterattack with a tap-in goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the team a last-gasp win over Panama in both teams’ opening World Cup match in rainy Toronto.
The goal was followed by a melee before the referee blew the full-time whistle, sealing a 1-0 victory in the Group L match on Wednesday.
After Ghana quickly moved the play from their own half, Brandon Thomas-Asante drove the ball into the 18-yard box down the left flank and rolled a pass towards the middle for Yirenkyi to redirect into the net.
The second half was in complete contrast with the very quiet first half.
The teams picked up the tempo in the second half, but scoring chances remained minimal until the decisive play.
Panama were the superior team before half-time, while Ghana dictated more of the play after the interval.
The match was viewed as a crucial showdown between teams expected to battle for third place in Group L.
Earlier on Wednesday, England defeated Croatia 4-2 in a match between the group favourites.
At the start of the tournament, FIFA ranked England fourth, Croatia 11th, Panama at 34, and Ghana at number 73.
In the second minute, Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi was called into action, diving to his right to stop a 15-yard volley attempt by Cecilio Waterman.
Panama had another half-chance in the 38th minute. Ati Zigi made a leaping punch to clear a cross. The ball fell to Panama’s Jiovany Ramos, who sliced his 14-yard, right-footed strike wide to the right
Ati Zigi was replaced at half-time due to an injury, with Benjamin Asare taking over in the net.
Ghana attempted no shots in the first half, the first team in this year’s World Cup to accomplish that dubious feat. Jonas Adjetey ended the drought with a header, which Panama’s Orlando Mosquera stopped in the 48th minute.
The Ghanaians were missing midfielder Thomas Partey, who was denied a visa to enter Canada due to pending sexual-assault charges against him in the United Kingdom. He has denied the accusations. Partey will be available for Ghana’s other two group games, both to be played in the United States.
Ghana are in the World Cup for the fifth time in the past six editions, with their best result being a quarterfinal appearance in 2010.
Panama are competing at just their second World Cup, having lost all three of their group-stage matches in 2018.
Both teams are back in action on Tuesday, with Ghana facing England in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Panama opposing Croatia in Toronto.
[Aljazeera]
Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich took a second off the women-only half-marathon world record on Sunday when she won the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, stopping the clock at one hour, five minutes, and 15 seconds.
Ngetich, who also broke the women-only 10km (6.2-mile) world record last year, pushed to the front from the outset on a sunny morning in the Danish capital and led until the end, finishing 50 seconds ahead of compatriot Veronica Loleo, who came in second.
The previous record was set by Peres Jepchirchir, another Kenyan, when she won the World Half Marathon title in Poland in 2020.
The overall women’s half-marathon world record is held by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey, who clocked 1:02:52 in 2021 at the mixed-gender Valencia Half Marathon in Spain.
Sunday’s win was the latest major title this year for the 25-year-old Ngetich, who also won the team half marathon in Copenhagen and the World Cross Country Championships in Florida in the US in January.
(Aljazeera)
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Flood warning issued to the Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa, Udunuwara, Yatinuwara, Gangawata Korale, Harispattuwa, and Pathadumbara
Due to heavy rainfall received in the upper catchment areas of the Mahaweli River over the past few hours, there is a risk of minor flooding in the low-lying areas surrounding the Mahaweli River within the Divisional Secretariat Divisions of Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa, Udunuwara, Yatinuwara, Gangawata Korale, Harispattuwa, and Pathadumbara.Residents living in the above mentioned areas and motorists using roads passing through these areas are urged to exercise extreme caution and remain highly vigilant regarding the prevailing situation.
Furthermore, residents living in close proximity to the Mahaweli River in these areas are advised to remain highly alert to the situation and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves from any potential flooding.The relevant disaster management authorities are requested to take all necessary measures in response to this situation.
The National Building Research Organisation [NBRO] has issued landslide Red Alerts to the districts of Kandy, Kegalle and Nuwara Eliya effective from 14:00 hrs on 20.09.2026 To 14:00 hrs on 21.09.2026
Accordingly,
LEVEL III [RED] Land Slide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Pasbage Korale in the Kandy district, Dehiowita, Aranayake, Deraniyagala, Mawanella and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district and Kothmale West, Kotmale East, Ambagamuwa and Norwood in the Nuwara Eliya district
LEVEL II [AMBER] Land Slide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Padukka in the Colombo district, Nagoda, Thawalama and Neluwa in the Galle district, Bulathsinhala, Palindanuwara, Walallawita and Agalawatta in the Kalutara district, Ganga Ihala Korale in the Kandy district, Bulathkohupitiya and Kegalle in the Kegalle district, Akuressa and Pitabeddara in the Matara district, Thalawakele in the Nuwara Eliya district and Pelmadulla, Ratnapura, Ayagama, Kuruwita and Ratnapura in the Ratnapura district.
LEVEL I [YELLOW] Land Slide early warnings have been issued to the Divisional Secretaries Divisions and surrounding areas of Seethawaka in the Colombo district, Niyagama and Baddegama in the Galle district, Mirigama in the Gampaha district, Ingiriya in the Kalutara district, Udapalatha and Yatinuwara in the Kandy district, Galigamuwa, Warakapola and Ruwanwella in the Kegalle district, Kotapola, Pasgoda and Athuraliya in the Matara district, and Eheliyagoda, Kalawana and Elapatha in the Ratnapura district.
Kenya’s Ngetich breaks women-only half-marathon world record by a second
Showers about 100 mm are likely at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya Districts
New Constitution to decide fate of executive presidency, PCs: NPP
NBRI issues landslide warning for three districts
Mahaweli rises as heavy rain triggers flood, landslide fears
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