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Oribe Peralta scored in the second half to help Mexico to a 1-0 victory over Cameroon in torrential rain Friday, earning El Tri their first World Cup win over an African team and giving them a crucial three points in Group A.
Peralta's left-foot shot in the 61st minute justified coach Miguel Herrera's decision to start him ahead of striker Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, arguably Mexico's best known player.
Giovanni Dos Santos had two goals disallowed in a frustrating first half, when Samuel Eto'o hit the post for Cameroon.
Peralta broke the deadlock just as thousands of Mexican fans were cheering for Hernandez to come into the game. He swooped after Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje parried a shot by Dos Santos.
But who was the star man in Natal? Click through the gallery below to see how
Show all 22 1 /22Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings MEXICO: Ochoa 6/10 Decent game in between the sticks but, in truth, was rarely tested. Made a decent late save from Moukandjo.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Aguilar 6 Faced up to the Cameroon strike force well when needed but looked questionable in the air.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Layun 6 Really struggled with set-pieces, especially corners. Will need to be better against Brazil.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Moreno 7 Posed an attacking threat as well as defensive solidity. The latter is a well needed commodity in a relatively lightweight side.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Márquez 7 Like his defensive colleagues, looked shaky at set-pieces but proved strong enough to keep Eto’o and co at bay.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Rodríguez 6 Proved a stable springboard for Mexico to launch their attacks through.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Herrera 7 A constant threat, the Porto man proved his worth. Seemed uncomfortable with the weather but battled through the conditions.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Vazquez 7 The Getafe man has been linked with a move to the Premier League and, while he didn’t shine, put in a decent enough shift to get scouts sniffing
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Dos Santos 7.5 A menace throughout, the former Barcelona man was bitterly unlucky to not score. If another referee had been in charge, he may have.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Peralta 8 The ‘only undroppable’ member of Herrera’s squad, the 30-year-old proved once more how important he is to the Mexican cause.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Guardado 6 Showed flashes of brilliance but lacked the penetration of his teammates.
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Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings CAMEROON: Itandje 7/10 Made a string of decent saves but was unlucky with Peralta’s goal. Got down well to stop Dos Santos’ initial strike.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Djeugoue 6 Firm in the tackle but poor in the air, looked frail from Mexican corner kicks.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Assou-Ekotto 7 A different player to the one which plays for QPR, ran the line dangerously and posed a threat.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Song 7 Should have perhaps been sent off for scraping his foot down dos Santos’ shin but proved to be a firm foundation for Cameroon to build upon. Tidy performance.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings N'Koulou 6 Like his defensive partners, struggled to command the aerial battle but stood up firm when ran at.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Chedjou 5 After an impressive season with Galatasaray, this World Cup offers the opportunity for Chedjou to really make his mark. Missed a good chance to do so today.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Moukandjo 6 Was decent throughout but came alive in the final ten minutes. Leapt above the Mexico defence to head into Ochoa’s gloves in the final minute
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Mbia – 7 Whipped some threatening balls into the box and only poor finishing cost him an assist.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Eto'o 6 Did little despite his obvious mental influence over the side. Gave the manager’s team talk at the beginning of the game but that was the former Chelsea striker’s only real contribution.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Enoh 7 Having come through the Ajax academy, Enoh’s class on the ball was evident but lacked the ability to break through the backline.
Mexico 1 Cameroon 0 player ratings Choupo-Moting 7 Presented the Mexican defence with many problems and could have had a goal in the first half.
Mexico take on the hosts Brazil on Tuesday, while Cameroon take on Croatia on Wednesday.
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