Ghana's World Cup campaign begins Wednesday against Panama with a match that may prove more pivotal to their ambitions of making it to the knockout stages than the higher-profile tests that await later in Group L.
Pooled in one of the tougher groups with perennial title hopefuls England and Croatia, the Black Stars know their path to the knockout rounds could be determined long before either opponent comes into view, and how they do against Panama could determine their pathway to the knockouts.
Victory against Panama, especially a big one, would give the West Africans an early advantage in the standings and ease pressure ahead of two daunting fixtures. A loss or draw would leave Carlos Quieroz's side playing catch-up in a group where mistakes are likely to be costly - none costlier than a failure to beat the lowest-ranked team in the group.
It is a position that reflects how much Ghana's global status has changed over the past two decades.
When the Black Stars arrived at their first World Cup in 2006, they came as Africa's long overdue emerging force - four-time African champions who had never made it onto the big stage.
They came as the newcomers looking to upset established powers on football's biggest stage. Twenty years later, Ghana are one of Africa's most recognisable World Cup nations, carrying expectations rather than surprising opponents. They will be the ones with the targets on their back on Wednesday.
Panama, meanwhile, have become one of the game's emerging nations.
The Central Americans no longer fit the description of tournament outsiders. They have established themselves as regular contenders in CONCACAF, built on defensive organization, physical discipline and an ability to frustrate more fancied opponents. Their reputation may not match Ghana's, but that could make them even more dangerous in a tournament opener.
Win, and the Black Stars may need just one more point from their next two games to advance. Under certain circumstances, those three points might even prove enough, as only the eight best third-placed teams will progress to the round of 32 along with the top two in each of 12 groups. However, that is too low a bar for a team as accomplished as the Black Stars.
The challenge comes as Ghana, traditionally hesitant about moving on their elder statesmen, attempt to balance experience with a new generation eager to leave its mark.
Captain Jordan Ayew remains the face of the team and enters what is likely to be his final World Cup. The 34-year-old has become one of the most-capped players in Ghanaian history and shoulders responsibility not only as the team's leader but also as the bridge between eras.
When he leads the team out on Wednesday at 34 years and 279 days, Ayew will become the oldest player ever to represent Ghana at a FIFA World Cup, surpassing the previous record held by Denis Odoi, who was 34 years and 185 days when he played for Ghana against South Korea at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Ayew will join his brother André, forward Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Sulley Muntari as the only Ghanaian players to feature in three different World Cup tournaments.
His performance against Panama could well determine how the rest of the tournament goes for him, whether he keeps his line-leading starting spot, or is used as an impact player off the bench.
Around him, however, the squad is beginning to look different, and younger.
Emerging talents such as Marvin Senaya, Antoine Semenyo, Christopher Bonsu Baah, Caleb Yirenkyi and Abdul Fatawu have injected fresh energy into a team that has undergone significant change since former coach Otto Addo returned for a second spell in charge. Their emergence has fuelled optimism among supporters who believe Ghana's future may already have arrived.
Under Carlos Queiroz, who took charge after Addo's surprise sacking two months ago, that future is not waiting its turn but prepared to take center stage immediately.
Which is why, for all of Ghana's determination to reverse Canada's entry ban on Thomas Partey, his absence may not be quite the blow to the Black Stars it may have been a few short years ago.
His deep experience aside, Partey's influence for both club and country has waned in recent years, and he has lost his starting position at club level. Panama may have provided a good opportunity, against slightly less testing opposition, to judge whether the former Arsenal midfielder could still bring it at this level.
The team received a boost on arrival in Toronto when they were paid a visit by the country's vice-president, professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang.
"Ghana is rooting for you," she told the team at their hotel. "Regardless of where Ghanaians are, whether they are in the diaspora, in the markets, on the farms or in the fields, they are rooting for you. Ghana is behind you. Ghana has high expectations of you.
"We are counting on you. We know you will rise to the occasion, and you will not let us down."
While that will serve as motivation for the team, it will do nothing to ease the pressure, as Athletic Bilbao striker Iñaki Williams acknowledged, although he insisted the squad is ready to rise to the challenge
"We need to give out everything on the pitch," Williams said.
"I know Ghanaians always want to put pressure on us because they love football. And Ghana has history. They made history at the World Cup in 2010, and I think this is an opportunity to try and do the same for our country.
"Our first game is important because it is what will give us confidence."
That 2010 World Cup was the last time Ghana made it to the knockout stages, and Queiroz admits that nothing short of a win will be acceptable, although he did try to place it in context and ease the pressure
"It's a must-win game," he told reporters ahead of the game. "I don't remember in my life any game I played that was not a must-win. Our value is based on results, and the only medicine that works in football is to win."
A strong opening performance would place the Black Stars in control of their own destiny. A stumble would leave precious little room for error before the face England and Croatia.
Ghana's World Cup begins against Panama. It may also be where their tournament takes off, or crashes and burns.