Panama, which faces France in Sydney on Wednesday (12:00 p.m.) for the last day of Group F, is participating in its first World Cup in the shadow of teams from Colombia or Brazil, but its presence in Oceania alone has marked the country.
Already eliminated before challenging the Blues, the selection of this state stuck between Costa Rica and Colombia and between Central America and South America, accumulated exploits last year to afford a historic qualification and the trip to Australia. Just like Haiti, Portugal, Morocco, the Philippines, the Republic of Ireland, Vietnam and Zambia. “No matter who is in front of us, Panama will continue to play their game, will try to take advantage of their strengths, no opponent is invincible,” assured coach Nacho Quintana before the tournament.
As in 2019, the Panamanians, ranked 52nd in Fifa, had to go through the play-offs. But this time, they eliminated Taiwan, Papua New Guinea and Paraguay, and got the ticket to Oceania. In 2018, they saw third place in Concacaf qualifying escape them on penalties, in favor of Jamaica. They then had to face Argentina, which had quickly showered the hopes of the country of 4 million inhabitants (4-0, 1-1).
During the qualifications for the World Cup in Oceania, Panama chained for the first time in its history four victories in a row, crowned by 24 goals. Having never participated in the Olympic Games, the “Canaleras” (Panamanian) are experiencing their first major competition, like their male counterparts in 2018 in Russia, far from the performances of their Colombian neighbors, victorious from Germany on Sunday (2-1) . The goal of the Panamanians is “to fight, to try to avoid goals, and to leave a good impression on the field”, explains to AFP Melissa Gallego, journalist at RPC Deportes. “It would be a feat if Panama could score points.”
The emotion of a first participation was seen during the hymns for their first match in Adelaide against Brazil, where the players of Nacho Quintana, were very moved, almost all in tears, including the emblematic captain Marta Cox, 26 years and author of the goal against Trinidad and Tobago, decisive for the qualification of Panama in the play-offs. She also shone by scoring against Papua New Guinea in the semi-final of these play-offs (2-0).
For Les Bleues, it will also be necessary to watch the young midfielder, Deysiré Mayte Salazar, 19, considered the Panamanian nugget, but also Karla Riley, 25, or Aldrith Quintero, Fleury player in D1. Defeated by Brazil (4-0), then by Jamaica (1-0), Panama has already marked the history of this country which has neither major infrastructures dedicated to football, nor a professional championship, the most of the players are not even paid.
“Panama has always had wonderful and extraordinary female talent that comes from the most populated neighborhoods, from clay courts, where girls and boys play together,” Claudia Carolina Morales, from the TVMAX sports channel, told AFP. “When you see the women’s league and what the national team has achieved, you think it’s extraordinary, it’s wonderful that with so little we have achieved something so big and magnificent,” adds the journalist.
