EFE

Luis Tejada

The coach said that the victory was a testament to the squad's dedication, discipline and fighting spirit.

Panama will square off against Group A rival Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, hoping to secure passage to the next round of the competition.

"It will be a different game and we will have to pretend like it is the first game, the one we need to win the most," Hernandez noted.

Tejada, who plays for Colombian club Envigado, netted the game's lone score in the 70th minute, blazing a header past Colombian goalie Farid Mondragon.

"The important thing is that we won, so that it does not matter who scored the goal, but still, I was happy to have scored," Tejada said, noting that "we played a smart game and got a great win, which should motivate us in the future."

Colombia, meanwhile, had to accept the fact that they had lost, despite playing well during the first 45 minutes of play.

"I think a fair result would have been a draw because both teams played very well, but what matters now is that we will have to make up for this loss in the following two games," Colombia coach Reinaldo Rueda.

Rueda said that the goal came at the worst moment since Colombia had regained control of the field and was looking to dominate its less-experienced rival, which would have been content with a draw.

"Soccer is like that, what matters are goals and they scored one and we were unable to take advantage of our scoring opportunities," according to Rueda.

Colombia, making its third Gold Cup appearance, will need to win its upcoming matches against Trinidad and Tobago and Honduras, which it will face Saturday.

"We know we need a win against Honduras to reach the quarterfinals," Rueda said, adding that "the team will be ready to fight and win."