Follow live coverage of Mexico v Cameroon here

Mexico take on Cameroon in the second Group A fixture of the 2014 Fifa World Cup at Estádio das Dunas, Natal, on Friday.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 5pm BST. Live coverage of the game will be available on ITV 1.

Overview

With the Group A action already beginning with Brazil and Croatia, it is now the turn of the underdogs, Mexico and Cameroon to prove their credentials at the World Cup.

Mexico are one of the four teams who progressed into the final tournament in Brazil from the Concacaf [Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football] federation. Miguel Herrera's side stood fourth in the fourth round with 11 points from 10 matches, which earned them a place in the play-offs.

They beat New Zealand, who qualified from OFC [Oceania Football Confederation], 9-3 on aggregate, 5-1 in the first leg at Estadio Azteca, Mexico and 4-2 at Westpac Stadium, Wellington. Before making the trip to Brazil, El Tri played Israel, Ecuador, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Portugal, beating the former two, 3-0 and 3-1 respectively before falling to a 0-1 reversal to the latter pair.

The only disappointing note for Mexico ahead of their opening game is that they will be without Luis Montes and Juan Carlos Medina, who suffered leg and ankle injuries respectively before the tournament.

Meanwhile, Cameroon topped their group in the preliminary qualification round of CAF (Confederation of African Football) with 13 points. They went on to seal their place in Brazil after overcoming Tunisia 4-1 on aggregate.

Before leaving for South America, the Indomitable Lions held Germany to a 2-2 draw before beating Moldova 1-0 in the warm-up matches.

Volker Finke's side have a tough draw on their hands if they are to progress into the knockout stages this year. Cameroon have managed to qualify only once from the group stage in the history of the World Cup, dating back to 1990 when Italy were hosts.

Mexico and Cameroon will be desperate to gain all three points, given that they have a tough battle against Croatia and Brazil lined up in the remaining two fixtures.

What Managers Say

Miguel Herrera (Mexico): "We're ready, there are no excuses. The team has surprised me more than I thought. We can be world champions. There are some (Mexico fans) that sell their houses or cars to be at the World Cup. We're going to give absolutely everything. We're ready to go out to try and win the game, it is a really important match, key to our hopes of getting out of the group. We know that nothing is easy but we are going to work hard and do what we can."

Volker Finke (Cameroon): "I know that (Mexico) had a lot of problems in qualifying and that it was difficult, but it is a very dangerous team, with an intense spirit. We've seen the videos of their friendly games and I can see that it is a difficult team, but one that can be beaten."

Team Form

Mexico

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): L L W W D
  • Last Result: Mexico 0-1 Portugal

Cameroon

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): W D L W L
  • Last Result: Cameroon 1-0 Moldova

Team News

Mexico

  • Injured: N/A
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Probable Lineup: Ochoa; Aguilar, Rodriguez, Marquez, Moreno, Layun; Herrera, Vazquez, Guardado; Dos Santos, Peralta

Cameroon

  • Injured: N/A
  • Doubtful: N/A
  • Suspended: N/A

Probable Lineup: Itandje; Djeugoue, Chedjou, N'Koulou, Bedimo; Enoh, Song, M'bia; Moukandjo, Eto'o, Choupo-Moting

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