Cameroun Off To A Poor Start, Lose 0-1 To Mexico

The first African representative to play at the ongoing World Cup in Brazil, Cameroun, got off to a poor start, losing to Mexico by a lone goal on a rainy day in Natal.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Mexico dominated throughout the match while desperately trying to put behind them the controversial decision to disallow two of their goals, which appeared to have been valid goals.

Against Cameroon, whose pre-World Cup was marred by a bitter row over bonuses, Mexico were a class apart.

After a cagey start at a sodden Estadio das Dunas, Giovani Dos Santos appeared to have opened Mexico’s account when he slotted Miguel Layun’s delivery past Cameroon ‘keeper Charles Itandje inside the quarter hour.

Unfortunately, his goal was disallowed though replays showed the Villarreal striker to be onside. the goal was chalked off by Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan.

Cameroon eventually settled and Stephane M’Bia flashed a header wide from Alexandre Song’s corner on 18 minutes.

The Africans spurned a far better chance when Tottenham defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto finished off a mazy run down the left to deliver for Samuel Eto’o, but the Chelsea striker saw his first-time shot flash wide.

Mexico remained a constant threat and when Choupo-Moting brought down Francisco Rodriguez to hand Mexico a free kick the Cameroon defence was caught unawares.

Mexico had the ball in the net for a second time when Dos Santos flashed a header past Itandje at the back post following a corner, although that goal was also was waved off by referee Roldan.

Cameroon coach Volker Finke replaced defender Cedric Djeugoue with Dany Nounkeu for the start of the second half, but the African side were soon under pressure.

Barely a minute after the restart Itandje was forced to block from Peralta as the Santos Laguna striker jumped on to Dos Santos’s smart dink.

Cameroon threatened on 53 minutes when a curling free kick by Assou-Ekotto, following Hector Moreno’s foul on M’Bia, took a deflection off the Mexican wall to send Ochoa the wrong way but the ball flew wide.

Mexico finally had the ball in the net, this time for good, just after the hour when Dos Santos saw his low drive parried by Itandje and into the path of Peralta, who drove home from 10 metres out to send the largely Mexican crowd of 39,216 into raptures.

Cameroon threatened in the final five minutes when Eto’o sent Benjamin Moukandjo through on the right but the Nancy midfielder’s drive across goal was blocked by an alert Rodriguez.

Mexico had Ochoa to thank in the final two minutes when the ‘keeper pulled off a spectacular dive to parry Moukandjo’s header from Assou-Ekotto’s delivery.

However, Mexico almost made it two at the death when Layun dispossessed a Cameroon defender to deliver for Hernandez, who volleyed just over.