June 24 (THEWILL) — Croatia moved into a strong position to qualify from Group L after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama at Toronto’s BMO Field.
After a largely uneventful first half, Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic’s tactical changes paid off shortly after the restart.
Substitute Ante Budimir broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, finishing from close range after excellent work by Josip Stanisic on the right flank.
The narrow victory was enough to keep Croatia’s qualification hopes firmly in their own hands heading into the final group game against Ghana.
For Panama, the defeat confirmed their elimination from the tournament, ending any chance of progressing to the knockout rounds.
