Mexico came from behind to beat Ghana 2-1 at Craven Cottage and might possibly have saved Hugo Sanchez his job as national team coach.
The former Real Madrid and Mexico legend had been on deathwatch all week, after the nation’s U23 team, which Sanchez also coaches, failed to qualify for this summer’s Olympic Games in Beijing, after losing to Guatemala and drawing with Canada earlier this month.
On Monday, the Mexican federation meets to consider Sanchez’s 18-month reign, and are widely expected to send him packing. If anything might have changed their mind however, it was El Tri snatching a win from the jaws of defeat at Fulham.
John Mensah hauled back Mexican satta king Adolfo Bautista as he muscled his way into the box with a minute to play, and Pavel Pardo converted the penalty to send the Mexicans home victorious.
The scoreline was harsh on a Ghana side who had dominated the majority of the second half and overpowered their CONCACAF opponents in the midfield exchanges.
Michael Essien looked to have sent the Black Stars to victory with his spectacular 55th minute strike from 25 yards past Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez, but the Chelsea star turned villain in the 77th with some slack play in front of his own goal which led to an equaliser.
The £24 million-pound player was over-casual as he jogged back with the ball, two Mexican attackers in close attendance.
Essien’s back pass was not underhit, but the greased surface took its toll as debutant goalie Patrick Antwi miscontrolled the spinning ball, allowing Carlos Salcido to slide in and then tap it into an unguarded net.
“A stupid mistake,” Ghana coach Claude Le Roy described it as afterwards. “You cannot take any risks in the last 30 yards in high-level football.”
This moment of schoolboy soccer provided delicious entertainment to the colourful and noisy Mexican expats suffering a wintry English night from the Stevenage Road stand.
The conditions were wet and chilly, the opposite of Accra or Mexico City, and with Brazil playing Sweden across town at Ashburton Grove, and England taking on France on television, the crowd at the Cottage was never going to be huge.
But the Ghanaians and Mexicans in attendance created a carnival atmosphere, a tribute to London’s multicultural preeminence, and what a difference these two peoples made to an otherwise gloomy English evening.
From the moment the opening bars of Mexico’s concerto-length national anthem caused the green-shirted players to stiffen their arms across their chests, it was never going to be a usual day at Craven Cottage.
The African fans raised a tumult of noise straight out of the recent African Cup of Nations, hosted by Ghana, while their opposition counterparts performed the wave named after them, ten minutes in.
Mexico almost stole the lead in under 20 seconds when Manchester City star Nery Castillo surged up the right wing and centred for Antonio De Nigris.
The Ankaraspor striker hit it first time but saw his shot saved by the legs of a relieved Richard Kingson.
The Central Americans, ranked 16th by FIFA to Ghana’s 15th, started the better but soon Ghana had got their measure. Anthony Annan and Essien began to boss the middle, carving through the flimsy stockade erected by the pinned-down Pardo and pint-sized Fernando Arce, while the muscular Junior Agogo ensured the Mexican back four stayed on their toes.
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