Ghana have become only the second African nation to record six wins at the FIFA World Cup after edging Panama 1-0 in their opening Group L match on Thursday, equalling Nigeria’s long-standing record, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

Caleb Yirenkyi scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner at Toronto Stadium, Canada, to hand the Black Stars all three points and deny Panama their first-ever World Cup point.

With six minutes added on at the end of a tightly contested game, Brandon Thomas-Asante surged down the left flank, beat his marker and squared the ball for Yirenkyi, who tapped home from close range.

The result was harsh on Panama, who matched the four-time African champions for long periods in only their fourth World Cup appearance since making their debut in 2018.

The victory puts Ghana top of Group L alongside England ahead of their second group game next Tuesday. More importantly, it takes the Black Stars level with Nigeria as the African teams with the most wins at the World Cup.

Ghana have now won six of their 16 World Cup matches, matching Nigeria’s tally of six victories from 21 games.

Both countries are followed by Cameroon, who have five wins from 26 matches. However, like Nigeria, the Indomitable Lions failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament.

Morocco sit fourth on the list with five wins from 23 matches and could also surpass Nigeria’s record during the tournament. The Atlas Lions reached the semi-finals in Qatar 2022, setting a new benchmark for African teams at the World Cup.

Senegal, despite losing their opening game against France at the 2026 World Cup, boast one of the best win ratios among African nations, with five victories from just 13 matches. The Teranga Lions made their World Cup debut in Korea/Japan 2002 and famously reached the quarter-finals.

Ghana’s World Cup journey began in Germany 2006, where they reached the round of 16 before losing to Brazil. They improved on that feat in South Africa 2010, reaching the quarter-finals and suffering a heartbreaking penalty-shootout defeat to Uruguay after one of the most dramatic matches in World Cup history.

The Black Stars have qualified for every World Cup since then except the 2018 edition in Russia.

Cameroon, Nigeria and Morocco boast longer World Cup histories. Morocco have featured at seven editions — 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022 and 2026.

Cameroon made their debut in 1982 and have since appeared at the 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2022 tournaments.

Nigeria’s World Cup story began in 1994, followed by appearances in 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018. Since their group-stage exit in Russia, the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for two consecutive editions.

With Nigeria absent from the 2026 tournament, Ghana, Morocco and Ivory Coast all have the opportunity to move past the Super Eagles’ record of six World Cup wins before the competition ends.

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As part of the deal, 258 Group Managing Director Freddie Cunningham joins CAA Sports Talent Group as Head of Client Strategy.

Based in London, Cunningham will oversee Joshua’s commercial activities across endorsements, speaking engagements and publishing, working alongside 258 Group and its family office, while also supporting the agency’s broader athlete business development across its international roster. He will report to Roman Di Somma, CAA Sports’ Head of International Talent.

Joshua joins a CAA Sports client list that also features Son Heung-min, Liam Lawson, Sky Brown, Cole Palmer, Gary Neville, Laura Woods and Kobbie Mainoo, placing him among an elite group of athletes and sporting figures represented by the agency.

The 36-year-old, who turned professional in 2013 and has held heavyweight world titles on two occasions, last fought in December 2025, stopping Jake Paul in the sixth round of a bout streamed on Netflix from Miami.

Later that month, Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria that killed his personal trainer, Latif Ayodele, and strength coach, Sina Ghami, leaving the boxer himself injured. The driver involved in the incident was subsequently charged.

Joshua is set to return to the ring on July 25, when he faces Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia.

Beyond boxing, Joshua and 258 Group have built a portfolio of investments spanning technology, real estate, content production and health and performance, with the fighter having previously held brand partnerships with companies including Under Armour, Audemars Piguet, Hugo Boss, Jaguar Land Rover, DAZN, EA Sports, Meta and Beats by Dre.

Following the agreement with CAA Sports, Joshua’s business interests, family office and in-ring matters will continue to be overseen by 258 Group, with communications remaining with Soapbox, legal affairs with Level, and promotional matters with Matchroom Boxing.

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Former Jersey Football Association president Ricky Weir has set his sights on deepening grassroots football development in Nigeria, returning to the country this month on a visit that combined the promotion of his award-winning memoir with continued support for Walking Football and youth league programmes, The PUNCH reports.

Weir, who now holds a Nigerian passport, told reporters in Lagos that his latest trip was driven by three personal missions namely promoting his book, “Illegitimately Blessed”, supporting grassroots football, and strengthening the growth of Walking Football, a discipline he helped introduce to Nigeria in 2020.

“The biggest thing is that I can come back whenever I want. I don’t have to think about visas or costs anymore. It allows me to embrace the country more, spend time with family, and potentially shift more of my football development work to Nigeria,” Weir said.

The Founder of the Jersey 2 Africa 4 Football Foundation continued his grassroots engagement by attending the 5Stars Premier League opening in Abuja, where he delivered a new Premier League ball to each of the sixteen participating teams, before officiating at the Walking Football opening league programme at the Eagle Club Pitch in Surulere, Lagos.

“It was gratifying to see how far it has come. There are now league programmes and women’s teams, which is fantastic,” Weir said of the progress made in Walking Football since he helped establish the slow-paced, non-contact discipline in the country six years ago.

Weir, a prolific striker in his playing days who scored more than 600 goals in over 1,000 matches before moving into football administration, served as president of the Jersey Football Association for six years and has since built charitable initiatives using football as a tool for social development across Africa.

During his visit, he was honoured in Lagos by the Africa Illustrious Awards, organised by My Media Africa, receiving the Award of Excellence and Special Recognition as African Football Ambassador.

Alongside his football work, Weir used the trip to promote his memoir, which chronicles his journey reconnecting with his Nigerian heritage after being born in Glasgow to a Scottish mother and a Nigerian father he never met. His father died before he was born, and Weir was placed for adoption and raised in Scotland.

He explained that he had deliberately delayed searching for his biological roots out of respect for the family who raised him.

“I never wanted my adopted parents to feel they were somehow not enough. My real parents were the people who raised me,” Weir said.

The search eventually led him to uncover his father’s Nigerian heritage and establish connections with relatives linked to his family history, a journey at the centre of “Illegitimately Blessed,” which Weir self-published in September 2024 before it was picked up by European publisher Europe Book and went on to win a literary award in Italy.

“When I finished the book, my goal was simply to complete it, leave something meaningful for my three sons and hopefully inspire one person. Everything after that has been a bonus,” Weir said.

While football features prominently in the memoir, Weir insisted the book carries a broader message beyond the sport.

“It covers identity, family, discrimination, resilience and overcoming challenges. It’s not just a football book,” he said.

Having spent fourteen years focused largely on philanthropic work in Kenya, Weir believes the next chapter of his African journey may increasingly be written in Nigeria, the homeland of the father he never had the chance to meet.

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