FIFA World Cup: How a Man Lost ₦1.1 Billion After Betting Against Ghana in Clash vs Panama
- A bettor lost over ₦1.1 billion after Ghana’s late winner sealed a 1-0 victory over Panama in their World Cup opener
- Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time goal crushed a massive $840,000 wager placed on Ghana not winning the match
- Ghana moved level with England at the top of Group L after a tight and physical contest in Toronto
One late cross. One touch. One goal. That was all it took to flip a $840,000 bet into a total loss worth more than ₦1.1 billion.
A football bettor suffered a brutal setback after wagering on Ghana not to beat Panama in their opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match.
Source: Getty Images
For most of the game, it looked like the bet might survive because the match was tight, low on clear chances, and locked at 0-0 deep into stoppage time.
Then Ghana changed everything.
According to The Guardian, Caleb Yirenkyi arrived in the box at the perfect moment and steered home Brandon Thomas-Asante’s cross in additional time.
The goal came late, decisive, and completely unforgiving for anyone who had backed against the Black Stars.
What followed was celebration in one camp and disbelief in another.
Ghana score late to silence Panama’s resistance
The match in Toronto never really settled into rhythm.
Panama started brighter, with Cecilio Waterman forcing an early save from Lawrence Ati-Zigi inside two minutes.
Source: Getty Images
It felt like a sign of an open game, but chances quickly dried up as both sides tightened defensively.
Panama still had moments as Cristian Martínez saw a penalty appeal waved away, while Jiovany Ramos dragged a shot wide after a loose clearance.
Ghana, meanwhile, struggled to build momentum in the final third during the first half.
Antoine Semenyo tried to inject life into the attack, dropping deeper and linking play just before the break. Still, Ghana’s best moment of the half ended with a shot that drifted closer to the corner flag than the goal, Al Jazeera reports.
After the restart, the game opened slightly as Ghana created a few chances.
Jordan Ayew came close for the Black Stars, and Ramos nearly turned a chance into his own net under pressure. But neither side looked fully in control.
Then came stoppage time. One final attack. One clean delivery. One finish from Yirenkyi that broke Panama’s resistance and decided the match.
Bettor loses ₦1.1 billion after risky bet
As soon as the final whistle went, attention shifted away from the pitch and straight to the betting fallout.
The bettor, identified on Polymarket Sport as “nutmegger,” had placed a massive $840,000 wager on Ghana failing to win.
If the result had gone the other way, the payout would have reached around $1.4 million, roughly ₦1.9 billion.
Instead, the full stake was lost.
Reactions quickly spread online, with fans reacting to both the goal and the scale of the gamble.
Barca Medic reacted:
“That guy is surely crying at the end of the match.”
Kisn posted:
“Bro just paid $840k to make Ghana play like prime Brazil tonight 😂”
Jewel Mansy reacted:
“That person certainly lost a good $840k didn't they?”
Embiid posted:
“He has lost all🤣🤣🤣🤣! respect Ghana next time bro.”
The result also reshaped Group L, with Ghana joining England at the top with three points after the opening round of fixtures.
Supercomputer predicts Ghana vs Panama
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Opta’s supercomputer has shared its prediction for the World Cup Group L encounter between Ghana and Panama.
The supercomputer ran 25,000 simulations of the match, and the African nation won 45.1% times, while Panama won 28.1%, and it ended in a draw 26.8% times.
Source: Legit.ng
