Mexico moved level on points with Brazil at the top of Group A this afternoon courtesy of a 1-0 win over Cameroon on the first full day of World Cup action.

Giovani dos Santos was denied two legitimate goals by the offside flag in the first half, but Mexico still managed to come away with the victory courtesy of Oribe Peralta's second-half strike.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at who impressed during an absorbing 90 minutes in Natal.

© Getty Images

MEXICO

Goal

Guillermo Ochoa: Very little to do all game as Mexico were on the front foot for long periods. However, he did make an important - if overly flamboyant - stop late on to keep his side in the lead. (7/10)

Defence

Paul Aguilar: One of the wing-backs that caused Cameroon so many problems in the opening exchanges. His influence faded a little when the Africans changed tactics, but he was still sound defensively. (7/10)

Francisco Rodriguez: Made a couple of important tackles and blocks, but was part of the defence that struggled to deal with crosses into the box. (6/10)

Rafael Marquez: Was able to stride out of defence on a couple of occasions and contribute to his side's attacks, but as captain he should have organised his defence better from corners and other set pieces. Also missed a great chance when a teammate was better placed. (6/10)

Hector Moreno: Also got himself involved in an attacking sense a few times and played some nice passes to keep his side's moves ticking over. (7/10)

Miguel Layun: Mexico's main threat in the opening 10 minutes or so as he consistently bombarded the left flank with dangerous runs. Like Aguilar, his attacking contribution waned when Cameroon switched tactics, but the wing-back will be pleased with his performance today. (8/10)

Midfield

Hector Herrera: Delivered a peach of a cross to set Giovani up for his first disallowed goal, and also played the ball through to the striker for the shot that led to the only valid goal of the game. (7/10)

Jose Vazquez: Solid performance both in defence and attack, although he looked vulnerable when faced with the physical presence of Cameroon. (6/10)

Andres Guardado: Kept Mexico ticking over without doing anything spectacular. Was part of the attack on the left side that caused Cameroon problems in the early stages. (6/10)

Attack

Giovani dos Santos: Had two perfectly good goals disallowed, but didn't let that affect him. Caused problems and looked dangerous throughout for Mexico, setting up a good chance for Peralta and having the shot that ultimately led to his strike partner scoring the rebound. (8/10)

Oribe Peralta: Looked likely to score throughout but didn't do as much as his strike partner. His goal was a simple tap in, but he did well to get into a dangerous position. Missed a good chance earlier in the match. (7/10)

Substitutes

Marco Fabian: Had 20 minutes to show what he can do and made a couple of decent contributions during that time. The midfield is a competitive position for Mexico, so he will be keen on earning a starting spot for the next match. (6/10)

Javier Hernandez: Made the biggest impact of any of the subs with some bright runs down the channel. Almost set up a chance with some good work on the byline, but he also missed a golden chance of his own late on. (7/10)

Carlos Salcido: Came on in the 92nd minute and had no time to show what he can do. (6/10)

© Getty Images

Cameroon

Goal

Charles Itandje: Arguably Cameroon's best player as he made a couple of vital stops to keep his side in the match. Denied both Peralta and Giovani before he was finally beaten. (8/10)

Defence

Cedric Djeugoue: Struggled in the opening exchanges as Mexico enjoyed plenty of possession down the left flank. Was taken off at half time. (5/10)

Nicolas N'Koulou: Made a vital block late on to deny Mexico what would have been a certain second goal, but wasn't at his commanding best when defending set pieces. (6/10)

Aurelien Chedjou: Survived a muted penalty shout in the first half and also got away with other defensive lapses when Giovani's two goals were wrongly disallowed. (6/10)

Benoit Assou-Ekotto: Made one superb run down the left flank to set up Eto'o in the first half, but struggled to make an impact on the game other than that. (6/10)

Midfield

Stephane Mbia: Had some bright moments in attack with some silky footwork, but was poor defensively at times. Was at fault when Mexico had a clear chance through Marquez. (6/10)

Alex Song: Not the imposing midfield general he can sometimes be. Usually one of Cameroon's most influential players, he was taken off with 10 minutes remaining. (5/10)

Eyong Enoh: Was not involved too much as Cameroon struggled to create a lot going forward. Was forced to defend for much of the match. (6/10)

Attack

Benjamin Moukandjo: Struggled to get involved a lot, but looked dangerous when he did get on the ball. Had a good chance to steal a point with a header late on, while he also wasted a good position on the right having been slipped through by Eto'o. (6/10)

Samuel Eto'o: Unsurprisingly Cameroon's most dangerous player, but he was left isolated for too much of the match. Clipped the outside of the post with a decent strike in the first half and also created one or two other promising opportunities. (7/10)

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: Got the touch that took the ball through for Giovani's second disallowed goal, but was unable to do much more. Mexico did a good job in keeping the promising winger quiet. (6/10)

Substitutes

Dany Nounkeu: Came on at half time as Volker Finke changed his tactics and did a better job than the man he replaced. Mexico's wing-backs did not have as much of an impact with Nounkeu on the pitch. (7/10)

Pierre Webo: Came on with 10 minutes left to increase Cameroon's attacking threat but failed to trouble the Mexico defence. (6/10)

Written by
Barney Corkhill