Mexico 1-0 Cameroon: Giovani Dos Santos sees two goals disallowed before Oribe Peralta grabs winner

Mexico’s Oribe Peralta ensured justice was done just as the Brazil World Cup was about to be hit with yet another refereeing scandal.

Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan had risked mutiny inside Natal’s Estadio das Dunas by wrongly ruling out two legitimate Mexican goals for offside in the first half, both netted by ex-Spurs forward Giovani dos Santos.

So he – and Fifa – would have been mightily relieved when Mexican domination was eventually rewarded after an hour when Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje pushed out a shot by dos Santos into the path of Peralta to grab the rebound.

The result leaves Mexico favourites to qualify from Group A alongside Brazil whom they face on Tuesday in Fortaleza and the goal celebration of tracksuited Mexico coach Miguel Herrera – roaring like a lion as heavy rain lashed down around him – became an instant hit on the internet.

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Long wait: Oribe Peralta (left) gives Mexico the lead in the 61st minute

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Ahead: Peralta wheels away in celebration after given Mexico a deserved lead in the Group A clash

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Jubilant: The Mexico players celebrates the opening goal with the substitutes on the sidelines

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Bad day: Giovani Dos Santos saw two seemingly fair goals disallowed during the first half

 

Fans arrive for Mexico v Cameroon World Cup match

Match facts

Mexico: Ochoa, Layun, Moreno, Marquez, Rodriguez, Aguilar, Guardado (Fabian 69'), Vazquez, Herrera, Giovani, Peralta (Hernandez 74').

Subs not used: Corona, Salcido, Reyes, Jimenez, Pulido, Ponce, Brizuela, Aquino, Pena, Talavera.
Booked: Moreno
Goals: Peralta 61'

Cameroon: Itandje, Djeugoue (Nounkeu 45'), N'Koulou, Chedjou, Assou-Ekotto, Song (Webo 79'), Mbia, Enoh, Moukandjo, Eto'o, Choupo-Moting.

Subs not used: Feudjou, Aboubakar, Makoun, Bedimo, Fabrice,
Salli, Matip, Nyom, N'Djock.
Booked: Nounkeu

Referee: Wilmar Roldan Perez
Att: 39, 216

More seriously, the performances of the officials will again be under the microscope following on from the opening game when Brazil were wrongly awarded a match-changing penalty against Croatia when Fred dived following a tussle by Dejan Lovren.

If anything, the decisions made by Roldan and his assistants were even worse, if not ultimately costly.

And Herrera made his displeasure clear despite his side’s victory. ‘We scored two clear goals in the first half - frankly the refereeing took them away. There was only one team controlling the ball.

'We could have scored more but we go into the next match with three points and very high spirits. The boys gave their souls on the pitch.’

Twenty thousand Mexican fans watched their team dominate a dismal Cameroon side who looked drained by a pre-tournament row over bonus payments that had delayed their arrival in south America.

The only thing stopping Mexico and a handsome win in extremely wet conditions were the officials.

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Strike: The Mexican striker shoots and scores but his goal was disallowed

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He's on! Dos Santos was clearly in an onside position as the cross came into the penalty area

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Harsh: Mexico's coach Miguel Herrera (right) was right to feel aggrieved with several first half decisions

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Hard luck: The Mexico players claim for a handball during a controversial first half

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One to forget: Samuel Eto'o missed a glorious chance to give his side the lead in the first half

They ruled out dos Santos’ volley from Hector Herrera’s cross after 11 minutes when he replays showed he was level with two Cameroon defenders.

And Herrera rightly went ballistic on the touchline after half-an-hour when Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting inadvertently flicked on a Mexican corner for dos Santos to score from close range – only for the linesman to wrongly identify Choupo-Moting as a Mexican and put his flag up for offside.

Even so, Mexico should have been ahead anyway given their possession, and Rafa Marquez and Hector Moreno bizarrely got in each other’s way when left unmarked at a set-piece.

In contrast, Cameroon looked a shadow of the team that thrilled the world at Italia 90 with Samuel Eto’o isolated up front.

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Winner: Herrera reacts to the final whistle as his team defeat Cameroon

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Bad call: Dos Santos (right) puts the ball in the net again but the goal was disallowed due to an offside

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Beaten: Mexico's second strike of the game was also controversially disallowed by the match official

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This one counts: Mexico finally took the lead after this strike from Peralta (19)

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Still singing? Spectators sit under pouring rain as they watch the Group A match

 

 

Following the blunder that gave Brazil a winning start in Sao Paulo on Thursday, another decisive refereeing cock-up was the last thing the World Cup needed.
So it was to Mexico’s credit they kept going in the second half to get the win despite the earlier poor decisions.
Again, dos Santos was heavily involved in the breakthrough goal after an hour.
The Villarreal player struck with his left foot and though former Liverpool goalkeeper Charles Itandje showed great reactions to save, Peralta was positioned exactly where a fox-in-the-box should be. 

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Dangerous: Former Arsenal midfielder Alex Song (centre) fouls Dos Santos

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Wet: Dos Santos (left) challenges Alex Song in the rain at the Estadio Arena das Dunas

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Defeat: The Cameroon players stand dejected after going down 1-0 against Mexico

The best-paid player in Mexican League history with America kept calm to slot home the rebound from eight yards and trigger huge celebrations among the majority of supporters in the stadium.
In an instant, Peralta, who scored both goals for Mexico when they beat Brazil to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics, justified Herrera’s decision to start him ahead of Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez.
And the coach shouted and waved his arms like a madman to celebrate, his joy instantly going viral around the world.

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Enough: Match referee Wilmar Roldan has a word with Cameroon's Maxim Choup-Moting

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Chance: Hector Moreno (right) reacts after missing a chance as the Cameroon keeper looks on

Cameroon had a late chance to draw level but Benjamin Moukandjo failed to convert a header in injury-time, which would have been the greatest injustice of all.
The Africans included Tottenham’s Benoit Assou-Ekotto and ex-Arsenal midfielder Alex Song but rarely looked like troubling Mexico, whose charismatic coach boasted before the tournament that El Tri are genuine World Cup contenders.

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Time to party: Mexico's players celebrates Peralta's crucial winning goal on Friday

Peralta, who scored both goals for Mexico when they beat Brazil to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics, was picked ahead of Hernandez for exactly that type of penalty-area finishing.
The United man had to be content with a late came off the bench but as bare-chested Mexican supporters celebrated in the incessant downpour, there will be a major inquest in the Cameroon ranks.
They were abysmal as if money disputes had affected morale. Their only genuine sights of goal in the second half came when Spurs defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto saw his deflected shot flash narrowly wide and Benjamin Moukandjo failed to convert a header in injury-time, but that going in would have been the greatest injustice of all.

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Battle: Stephane Mbia (left) controls the ball as Andres Guardado gives chase during the first half