World Cup

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Attendance: 39,216

World Cup | Group Stage

Jun 13, 2014 at 5pm UK

Mexico
1-0
Cameroon Cameroon

Peralta (61')

FT(HT: 0-0)

Half-Time Report: Mexico denied two goals in goalless half with Cameroon

By Joe Fish, Reporter

Published: June 13 2014 | 17:50

Last updated: June 14 2014 | 10:10

Giovani dos Santos has two goals incorrectly disallowed as Mexico are frustrated by poor officiating in the first half of their World Cup Group A opener with Cameroon.

Mexico will be ruing more suspect World Cup officiating after being incorrectly denied two goals in the first half of their Group A opener against Cameroon in Natal.

Giovani dos Santos was preferred to Javier Hernandez in attack, but found that fortune was against him as the assistant's flag twice ruled out his strikes.

Giovani dos Santos of Mexico reacts after his goal was disallowed due to an offsides call in the first half during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group A match between Mexico and Cameroon at Estadio das Dunas on June 13, 2014 © Getty Images

The Villarreal attacker, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, steered in a cross from Hector Herrera on 11 minutes, but was adjudged offside when he was in fact level with the last defender.

Cameroon set up very cautiously and rarely ventured forward, although Samuel Eto'o did clip the post with a shot from Benoit Assou-Ekotto's 21st-minute run and cross, before Dos Santos found the net again.

The 25-year-old converted at the back post after a 29th-minute corner was flicked on, but the Colombian linesman falsely deemed the deflection to have come off a Cameroonian body, leaving Dos Santos to be fractionally beyond the last man.

The African nation's early set-piece threat was negated by their own defensive tactics, but Mexico were also dangerous from dead-ball situations as Hector Moreno nodded wide when in plenty of space.

Questionable refereeing decisions marred Brazil's 3-1 win over Croatia as the tournament kicked off on Thursday.