Despite several attempts to equalize in the match’s final few minutes, Cameroon was unable to find the back of the net in a 1-0 loss to Mexico in Day 2 of the 2014 World Cup at Estadio das Dunas in Natal, Brazil.
Cameroon has never won a World Cup match when allowing the opposition to score first.
With the victory, Mexico earns three points and keeps pace with Brazil in Group A play. Brazil and Mexico face each other next week in the second World Cup match for both teams.
After a scoreless first half, Oribe Peralta scored the game-winner for Mexico in the 61st minute.
That scoreless first half could have easily been 2-1 in favor of Mexico. However, officials disallowed all three goals in the first 45 minutes, including a pair of scoring strikes by Giovani Dos Santos.
The first Dos Santos goal in the 12th minute was called back when he was ruled offsides, though several online blogs showed replays where the Mexican star might actually have actually been onsides during the play.
Similarly, Dos Santos found the back of the net on a corner kick in the 30th minute, but, just like the first disallowed goal, he was called offsides. Also like the first offsides call, it was pointed out by several live blogs online the call was incorrectly made.
Statistically speaking, it was a relatively even match. While Mexico dominated possession percentage (59 percent to Cameroon’s 41 percent), both teams had three saves a piece.
Mexico had five shots on goal compared to Cameroon’s four; the Mexican team was also offsides five times, as opposed to only three offside calls against Cameroon.
The African nation had 10 overall shots and five corner kicks; Mexico took nine shots overall but only had two corner kicks.
Both teams were issued a yellow card.
Cameroon plays its next match against Croatia.
In the third set of matches for Group A, Brazil will face Cameroon and Mexico kicks off against Croatia.
The top two teams of each group advance to the elimination round.
