Amad and Yirenkyi clutch moments place Africa in position of envy at 2026 World Cup
Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have lit up the 2026 FIFA World Cup by scoring the tournament’s only two 90th-minute winning goals to lock down vital 1-0 victories.
African nations are setting a dramatic standard for late resilience at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, accounting for the tournament’s only 90th-minute winning goals so far.
In Group L, Ghana’s 20-year-old midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi finished a sweeping counterattack at BMO Field in Toronto to secure a vital 1-0 victory over Panama. The dramatic tap-in reward completely altered the outlook of their group-stage opener.
In a mirror performance, Amad Diallo duplicated the late heroics for Côte d’Ivoire in their Group E curtain-raiser against Ecuador in Philadelphia.
The Manchester United winger entered as a second-half substitute before firing home a clinical first-time strike from Wilfried Singo’s cross in the 90th minute. Both matches underlined a growing trend of tactical discipline and exceptional physical endurance among African contenders.
