On an evening when Mario Balotelli was given a first chance to impress an English crowd ahead of a long-awaited and still far from complete £25m move to Manchester City the forward offered a performance more reminiscent of a league journeyman. In fact, it was a truncated outing for the 6ft 3in striker who was taken off after 59 disappointing minutes.

Balotelli was making his full debut as Italy began the process of rebuilding following a disastrous World Cup which they entered as champions and exited at the group stage having failed to record a single victory. The 20-year-old was placed by Cesare Prandelli, Italy's new manager, on the left of his attacking trident in a 4-2-3-1 that struggled for fluency.

Balotelli was offered an early opportunity to write tomorrow's headlines when he lined up a free-kick 25 yards out but the striker, who has 20 goals in 59 Internazionale appearances, struck the ball sweetly but off target.

François Zahoui, Sven-Goran Eriksson's successor as Ivory Coast head coach, had kept Premier League aficionados interested by naming Salomon Kalou, Emmanuel Eboué, Kolo and Yaya Touré in his starting line-up. The latter skippered the side but was off the pace throughout the opening period – one wild cross after collecting on the right suggesting his radar was struggling to find its range.

That was a problem Gervinho also had when creating the Elephants' best chance of the first half for himself. The Lille striker skipped easily beyond the Italy defence but with only Salvatore Sirigu to beat he sprayed his effort wide – the absent Didier Drogba would surely have scored.

Immediately following the break Marco Motta, Italy's right-back, nearly showed Gervinho how it should be done, but his low shot rebounded back off Yeboua's right post. Instead it was Kolo Touré who advanced on 55 minutes to head home Guy Demel's measured cross from the right for the winner before the three-quarters empty Boleyn Ground.