Panama, one of Ghana’s Group stage opponents at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, concluded their home preparations in confident fashion with a 4-2 win over the Dominican Republic on Tuesday night before travelling to the United States.
The match, played in front of a full and lively home crowd, served as a farewell fixture for Thomas Christiansen’s side as they continue their build-up to the global tournament. The result provided further encouragement for the Central American team, who are seeking to carry strong momentum into their final pre-World Cup friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The hosts made an early statement in the contest, taking the lead inside the opening 15 minutes after a well-constructed attacking move. Cesar Yanis, Jose Fajardo and Cristian Martinez were all involved in the build-up, with Panama applying sustained pressure in the final third. Although Fajardo’s initial attempt was blocked, the loose ball fell to Tomas Rodriguez, who kept his composure to finish and put Panama ahead.
The home side doubled their advantage before the break when Victor Griffith unleashed a long-range effort that took a decisive deflection, wrong-footing the Dominican Republic goalkeeper and finding the net.
After halftime, Christiansen introduced several changes to his line-up, but Panama maintained their attacking rhythm. Despite the adjustments, they continued to pose problems going forward and remained in control for much of the second half.
The Dominican Republic did respond shortly after the restart, with Mariano Diaz reducing the deficit through a composed finish following a diagonal run into the penalty area. The goal briefly shifted momentum, but Panama quickly reasserted themselves.
Cecilio Waterman restored their two-goal cushion after taking advantage of a defensive misunderstanding between the goalkeeper and a defender. The forward was alert to the error and finished to make it 3-1, strengthening Panama’s grip on the match.
The visitors refused to back down and added a second goal through Erick Japa, capitalising on a lapse in the Panamanian defence. However, Panama had the final say in an entertaining contest, with Kadir Barria capping a strong team performance by converting from close range after a pass from Erick Davis.
The 4-2 victory extends Panama’s positive run of form as they approach the World Cup, where they will face Ghana among their group-stage opponents. Their recent displays, marked by attacking fluidity and squad depth, are expected to be closely analysed by the Black Stars as they prepare for the tournament.
Before their World Cup campaign begins, Panama will travel to the United States for a final preparatory match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. That fixture will complete their build-up as they look to carry momentum into football’s biggest international stage.
For Ghana, the performance offered another indication of the challenge ahead, with Panama demonstrating both offensive sharpness and resilience in a lively six-goal encounter.
