Ivory coast 1 -Guinea 1

Manchester City’s new £28million striker Wilfried Bony was unable to inspire his country to victory in their first game at the Africa Cup of Nations, as 10-man Ivory Coast came from behind to draw with Guinea.

Alongside his new City team-mate Yaya Toure, Bony was practically anonymous for much of the game as the Elephants were almost embarrassed by the minnows - although he did manage to provide a crucial assist for Seydou Doumbia to level the scores.

Mohamed Yattara scored Guinea’s opener before half-time, capitalising on some woeful Kolo Toure defending, before Gervinho made his side’s job all the more difficult by stupidly pushing Naby Ketia in the face to earn a red card.

But despite the man advantage Guinea were unable to hold on, Bony finally springing to life 20 minutes from time to control a lofted pass and lay it inside to CSKA’s Doumbia, who finished with aplomb.

And the former Swansea man could have scored a winner moments later, but his near-post flick from a Serge Aurier cross was blocked by a defender.

The result was harsh on Guinea, perhaps the tournament’s least-fancied side, who were impressive right from the off.

It is remarkable that they are in Equatorial Guinea at all - having been forced to play their ‘home’ qualifiers in Morocco because of the Ebola crisis, they somehow made it through.

And in the first half they looked dangerous at times, wingers Ibrahima Conte and Ibrahima Traore causing the Ivorian full-backs problems.

The Ivorian defence - which conceded 11 times in six qualification games, featured Eric Bailly and Serge Kanon, both making their competitive international debuts - looked decidedly nervous long before the errors that led to Yattara’s opener.

The goal itself was a shocking display of defending for an international team. First Aurier allowed a Guinea attack to gain momentum, watching Conte cruise past him to run at Kolo Toure.

It was the closest the Elephants would come to a goal in a slow half where they lacked any sort of attacking momentum.

And it was not until after Gervinho’s moment of madness that the Ivorians managed to muster any sort of purposeful attacking threat.

If Bony and Toure are to inspire either Ivory Coast or Manchester City to titles this year, they will have to play much better than this.