Panama midfielder Edgar Yoel Barcenas has admitted his side were left devastated after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Ghana in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the Central American nation deserved more from the contest.
The experienced winger expressed deep frustration after the final whistle, arguing that Panama produced a strong enough performance to win but failed to take their chances in crucial moments.
Panama enjoyed long spells of control throughout the encounter, particularly in the first half, where they created several clear opportunities and forced Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi into a series of important saves.
Despite their attacking pressure, they were unable to find a breakthrough and were ultimately punished as Ghana secured a late and hard-fought victory.
Reflecting on the defeat, Barcenas admitted that football can be cruel, especially at the highest level.
“We all know how this sport works. Sometimes we’ve played very badly and won, and other times we’ve played very well and look how football repays us. It hurts. We’re very sad because we feel we did everything to win, but in the end, you have to give a little more, and we just couldn’t do it,” he said.
The result leaves Panama with no room for error as they prepare for a decisive second group-stage clash against Croatia.
Barcenas stressed the importance of quickly shifting focus and maintaining belief within the squad as they attempt to revive their World Cup campaign.
“Now comes Croatia. We have to see what they did against England. We can’t give up, we have to turn the page and move on,” he added.
The midfielder also revealed that Panama entered the closing stages of the match believing they could still snatch all three points, rather than settle for a draw.
“I wanted to go on the attack because we had the chance. We could have delivered the final blow, but in the end we couldn’t even manage a draw. We lost the three points and it hurts,” Barcenas stated.
Despite the disappointment, Panama’s overall performance offered positives, as Thomas Christiansen’s side matched Ghana for large periods and showed attacking intent that could prove valuable in their remaining group fixtures.
With crucial matches still ahead, Panama will now look to regroup quickly, knowing that another setback could seriously damage their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.
