Ivory Coast beat Italy in Prandelli’s debut

Cesare Prandelli lost his first match as coach of Italy yesterday when his team was beaten 1-0 by Ivory Coast in a friendly in London.



Italy fullback Marco Motta went close to scoring in the 47th minute when he shot against the post before defender Kolo Toure headed the African side ahead in the 55th.



Seydou Doumbia and Guy Demel worked an opening on the right for Demel to curl in a cross that Toure headed past debut-making goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.



However, Italy showed touches of class in their first match since their humiliating elimination from the first round of the World Cup, with the recalled Antonio Cassano at the center of much of the team's best work.



The Italy fans dominating the sparse crowd of 11,176 in east London cheered nearly every touch by Cassano, who lined up in attack with the similarly recalled Mario Balotelli.



Ivory Coast missed the attacking focal point usually provided by Didier Drogba, who was left out to continue his recovery from post-World Cup groin surgery.