World Cup

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Attendance: 39,216

World Cup | Group Stage

Jun 13, 2014 at 5pm UK

Mexico
1-0
Cameroon Cameroon

Peralta (61')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Oribe Peralta pokes Mexico to deserved win over Cameroon

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 13 June 2014

Oribe Peralta's second-half goal gives Mexico a winning start to the 2014 World Cup as they beat Camerooon 1-0 despite having two goals wrongly disallowed.

Mexico overcame the setback of two disallowed first-half goals to eventually beat Cameroon 1-0 in their World Cup opener at the Estadio das Dunas this evening.

Mexico's forward Oribe Peralta celebrates after scoring a goal during the Group A football match between Mexico and Cameroon at the Dunas Arena in Natal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 13, 2014 © Getty Images

Giovani dos Santos had twice been wrongly denied by the officials before Oribe Peralta gave them the lead that they deserved with a simple 61st-minute rebound.

Cameroon left it until late to change to an attacking approach in their search for an equaliser, but Mexico saw out the final few minutes to go level with Brazil at the top of Group A.

The African nation initially set up cautiously, with a gameplan to seemingly make the most of set pieces, which they did in the early stages as Mexico's defence survived some shaky moments.

Cameroon enjoyed their fair share of luck too, though, to the detriment of Dos Santos, who was level with the last man when he was adjudged offside after smartly guiding Hector Herrera's 11th-minute cross home.

The Villarreal attacker, who was preferred in attack to Manchester United poacher Javier Hernandez, was frustrated again before the half-hour mark when the linesman denied him for a second time.

Giovani dos Santos of Mexico reacts after his goal was disallowed due to an offsides call in the first half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Mexico and Cameroon at Estadio das Dunas on June 13, 2014 © Getty Images

He converted from close range after a corner had been flicked to the back post, but the Colombian official incorrectly deemed the deflection to have come off a Cameroon shirt and therefore raised his flag.

In between Mexico's moments of misfortune, Cameroon had a rare venture forward as Samuel Eto'o's shot clipped the post.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto's run and cross had provided the Chelsea striker with his chance, and the left-back came close himself after the break with a free kick which struck the wall and looped narrowly wide.

Mexico's luck changed just past the hour as Dos Santos was found in space between the two centre-backs. Charles Itandje did well to block his shot, but Peralta swooped to knock home from 12 yards.

Nicolas N'Koulou's last-ditch block prevented Dos Santos from finally getting his name on the scoresheet late on, while substitute Hernandez blazed over in stoppage time when found unmarked by Miguel Layun.

His miss meant that Cameroon were still in the game until the final whistle, and they would have equalised had Guillermo Ochoa not produced a crucial diving save to keep out Benjamin Moukandjo's header.