Mexico coach Javier Aguirre has praised his players for the way they approached the game following his side’s 1-0 win over Croatia earlier today.

“I’m not the one that deserves the praise,” he insisted. “My players are the ones who should be applauded for how they approached the game.

“We found ourselves in front of a team of the highest calibre and it was a deserved victory.”

Cuahtemoc Blanco scored the only goal of the game for Mexico with a second-half penalty after he himself had been brought down, but Aguirre singled out goalkeeper Oscar Perez, for special praise

. “Perez was decisive,” said Aguirre.. “He played an extraordinary game.”

Croatia coach Mirko Jozic remained upbeat despite a disappointing showing from his ageing Croatian side.

“We lost a battle, not the war,” he said. “The team know how to overcome this difficult moment. We will recover against Italy.”