Panama
Panama are a well-drilled, disciplined side and in my opinion they are tougher to beat than their ranking suggests. Christiansen has spent years building a compact defensive block, and though they have conceded a few goals in recent friendlies they have nonetheless demonstrated some solid form. They held Bosnia-Herzegovina to a draw and beat the Dominican Republic in their build up, though they lost heavily to Brazil, and they will be without the injured Adalberto Carrasquilla in midfield. My read is that Panama will sit deep, defend their box and look to punish Ghana on set pieces and breaks.
Predicted Lineup: Mosquera; Harvey, Andrade, Cordoba; Murillo, Godoy, Martinez, Davis; Rodriguez, Waterman, Diaz.
Ghana
Ghana have the stronger individual names but from my point of view their recent form is a genuine worry. The Black Stars have won just once in their last seven outings and have not kept a clean sheet across that run, conceding freely along the way. Antoine Semenyo, Inaki Williams and Jordan Ayew give them real quality in the final third, and Thomas Partey anchors the midfield. My read is that Ghana will dominate the ball but could be vulnerable at the back against a side that is more than capable on the break.
Predicted Lineup: Asare; Adjetey, Djiku, Opoku; Yirenkyi, Partey, Sibo, Mensah; Semenyo, Williams, Ayew.
