Afternoon, all. Hot favourites Ivory Coast kick off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign today. Guinea, not to be confused with tournament hosts Equatorial Guinea, are their Group D opponents.

It is no surprise that the Ivorians are so well fancied. They are stocked from front to back with Premier League stars, including Yaya Toure and his new £28m Manchester City teammate Wilfried Bony.

Guinea's squad has a much more modest look to it, but it is a real achievement that they have even reached the tournament, considering the effects that the Ebola virus has had on their country.

Over 1,200 people have died in Guinea as a result of the fatal virus, which is of course why the tournament was switched from Morocco to its current venue only a few months ago. They had to play all of their qualifiers outside of Guinea, and fans have been through rigorous security to travel across the continent to be in the capital of Malabo today. Hopefully they will be rewarded with a memorable match.

With just under 20 minutes until kickoff, let me bring you the team news...

IVORY COAST: Gbohouo; Aurier, K.Toure, Bailly, Kanon; Serey Die, Tiote, Y.Toure; Kalou, Bony, Gervinho

GUINEA: N Yattara; Issiaga, Pogba, F Camara, Sankoh, N Keita, B Fofana, Constant, Conte, Traore, M Yattara

The Elephants, which I'm reliably informed is Ivory Coast's nickname, select four players who play their football in England and two further Premier League stars in their star-studded starting lineup.

Yaya is joined by brother Kolo Toure and will play alongside Newcastle United's Cheick Tiote in midfield. Former Arsenal and Chelsea forwards Gervinho and Salomon Kalou will play with Bony up top.

There are not so many recognisable names in the Guinea team. Borussia Monchengladbach striker Ibrahima Traore captains them in the absence of injured Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Kamil Zayatte.

Midfielder Kevin Constant, who spent two seasons at AC Milan, might be familiar to many of you. Elsewhere, many of their key players play in Belgium, including Anderlecht's Ibrahima Conte. Lyon's Mohamed Yattara has six goals in 12 international games and is one to watch out for.

Expectations are high in Ivory Coast today, as proven by this tweet from former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Didier Zokora. The 34-year-old became his country's most capped player before retiring from international football.

My friends, good luck against Guinea.We expect a win from you today. #AFCON2015 #TEAM225 pic.twitter.com/unKZzlnvD7 — Maestro Zokora (@dzokora5) January 20, 2015

PREDICTION: Guinea have a few attacking threats themselves, but Ivory Coast should have plenty enough to outgun them. I'm predicting 3-1 to the Elephants, with Bony among the scorers.

KICKOFF: After both sets of players respect a minute's silence to honour all those who have lost their lives through the Ebola crises, Guinea get the action underway.

Some good new to bring you while the game limps into life. There has been no repeat of the overcrowding and trouble which marred the opening game of the tournament. It was thought that the lure of the Ivory Coast may result in similar scenes, but everything has been very much in order.

A promising start by Guinea. Traore looks lively in the number-10 role and he has released Conte and Naby Keita to the respective bylines. Both crosses took too long coming into the box and are cleared.

Ivory Coast counter as Kalou releases Gervinho inside the Guinea left-back. The Roma star picks out Toure with a cutback towards the penalty spot, but a retreating defender beats him to the ball.

That's the first we have seen of Bony. Kanon rolls the ball into his feet on the edge of the box, but the new Man City signing is penalised for apparently backing into his defender with too much force.

There has not been any chances yet, but I would be surprised if we have to wait too long for a goal. Guinea attack with numbers and pace, but appear panicked when the orange shirts run at them.

WOODWORK! Almost a stunning goal from Gervinho, but instead a stunning save from Naby Yattara! Ivory Coast break through Gervinho, who is simply too quick for two defenders who can do little to stop him. He charges into the area and attempts to square for Bony. The pass is intercepted, but returned straight to Gervinho, whose shot from eight yards is tipped onto the crossbar by Yattara. Amazing reflexes!

Florentin Pogba, the brother of Juventus star Paul, is the most experienced defender in the Guinea back line. The Saint-Etienne man will have to be at his best to keep out this attack for 90 minutes.

Ivory Coast seem to be so relaxed. Too relaxed perhaps. Yaya takes almost two minutes to place and deliver a free kick from a dangerous position which is blocked at the near post. Only when Gervinho gets the ball do they seem to have any intent. The Roma forward is definitely the danger man.

Kalou throws himself to ground just inside the area, after Issiaga Sylla had won the ball fairly. Guinea want him booked for diving, but Kalou genuinely lost his balance, and that's how the referee saw it too.

SAVE! Gervinho threatens again, playing a one-two with Kalou and receiving the return 10 yards out. He pokes the ball towards goal, but Yattara again foils him, staying big to make a good block.

Nice pass into Gervinho's feet, and he immediately spins and runs at the defence. He beats two men before Boubacar Fofana stretches out a foot to partially block a shot which dribbles into Yattara's hands.

Yattara saves Guinea at one end, and his namesake puts them ahead at the other! Lazy defending from Aurier allows Conte to switch the ball to Toure, who immediately puts the ball into the box from the opposite flank. A poor header from Aurier drops to the feet of Yattara, who smashes a snapshot into the roof of the net to give his country a shock lead!

It would perhaps be pushing it to say that Guinea deserve to be ahead, but Ivory Coast can have no complaints. Their body language has been shocking and it is clear that some of them simply aren't trying.

That accusation cannot be made of Gervinho, who has been their shining light. He again runs with the ball and beats a man centrally before shifting it right to Serey, whose lazy cross towards Bony is cut out.

I'm not sure anybody expected that half-time scoreline, although I suppose you never know what to expect from the Ivory Coast. We have seen their ugly side so far today. Lethargic and lazy, their attitude has been so poor. Guinea have been more lively and have been rewarded with a goal.

There has been nothing from Bony, Yaya Toure and very little from Kalou. Gervinho has been outstanding without the finish product, as he so often is. The Roma forward has been denied by Guinea goalkeeper Naby Yattara on a couple of occasions, but he will continue trying at least.

A word of warning for Guinea. The underdogs went behind yesterday as South Africa took a half-time lead against Algeria before losing 3-1. They have to prepare for an improved Ivory Coast after the break.

Ivory Coast manager Herve Renard has a tough job on his hands to motivate his players at half time. This is the biggest job that the former Angola and Zambia boss, 46, has had by some distance and he would not have had to deal with dressing room egos like this in the past.

KICKOFF: Ivory Coast get the second half underway, with both sides unchanged...

SHOT! Signs of life from Bony, who had fewer touches than anybody else in the first half. He beats his defender to a bouncing ball on the edge of the box and sets himself up for a dipping volley which Yattara dramatically tips over the crossbar, although it was going high anyway.

The Elephants have had a couple of corners early in this half. The first of them is inches above Bony's head before Pogba clears at the near post, and the second is emphatically punched away by Yattara.

BOOKING: Serey Die becomes the first player to be cautioned as he takes out Yattara. The goalscorer had been released down the left as Guinea countered from a corner and was the last man when he tripped the forward with a sliding tackle. The referee rightly observes that Yattara had been forced wide and was not poised for a goalscoring opportunity, so yellow only.

RED CARD! Gervinho is sent off for an off-the-ball incident! He's tussling with Sankoh and reacts by thrusting his forearm into the Guinea defender's face. The Algerian referee did not see the incident, but consults with his colleagues and shows Gervinho red. The Ivory Coast forward is furious, he drops to his knees, head in the ground and punches the turf. He protests towards the referee with real venom, but he can have no complaints, and he might be lucky to play again in this tournament after that reaction.

The red card probably means that Guinea are the favourites for the first time in the game. On one hand, I have little sympathy for Gervinho, who has a history of that kind of thing. Remember him slapping Joey Barton on his Premier League debut? But on the other, he was by miles his country's best player and it was likely an act of frustration caused by being almost the only Ivorian actually putting the effort it.

WOODWORK! Traore comes so close to doubling Guinea's lead! Fofana lifts the ball out to him in the right channel. He cuts inside and beats two men before bending a left-footed shot which comes back off the crossbar, with Sylvain Gbohouo completely beaten. That could have been game over.

BOOKING: Tiote picks up his obligatory yellow card for hacking down Constant, who is starting to have a real influence on the game for the minnows, only a yard outside the left edge of the box.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Double change from Renard as Serey Die and Kalou are replaced by Siaka Tiene and Seydou Doumbia, who scored twice for CSKA Moscow against Man City earlier this season.

SUBSTITUTION: Michel Dussuyer, who is enjoying his third spell in charge of Guinea, makes a change of his own as he sacrifices goalscorer Yattara for Angers forward Abdoul Razzagui Camara.

Substitute Doumbia levels for Ivory Coast, whose two big names are involved in the build up. Toure lifts a perfectly-weighted pass up to Bony, who chests the ball down before cleverly turning the ball into the path of Doumbia. The CSKA Moscow striker takes one touch before finding the bottom corner!

Better from the Ivory Coast. Aurier, who has been defensively awful and offensively quiet, bursts to the right byline and fizzes a cross towards Bony which is just about turned behind at the near post by Sankoh.

Ivory Coast have finally moved out of second gear, and they now have around 15 minutes to try to salvage an opening-round win. They only have 10 men remember, following Gervinho's dismissal.

A half-chance for Guinea as Traore cuts in from the right byline to cross to Razzagui. There was so much power on the delivery that the striker does not have time to adjust and direct his header at goal.

Traore has been very impressive. He is clearly a very confident player, as evidenced by a 30-yard half-volley with the outside of his left foot which drifts a few yards wide. Guinea are still a threat too here.

CLOSE! Constant lines up a long-range free kick. He strikes the ball with his laces, and Bertrand Bailly jumps out of the wall to bravely block with his head. The looping ball has Gbohouo scrambling, but drops a few yards wide.

SUBSTITUTION: A brave but sensible move from the Ivory Coast boss as he hauls Yaya Toure off for the final few minutes. The Man City star has been well below his best and has given the ball away continuously. Metz defensive midfielder Cheick Doukoure is on in his place.

Great tackle by Camara to prevent full-back Aurier from collecting the ball inside the area on the overlap. That resulted from a long ball which was won by Bony. The Elephants are going route one now.

We will have THREE minutes of stoppage time in Malabo. Will we have a winning goal?

SUBSTITUTION: A very late last throw of the dice for Guinea as teenage forward Tallo Gadji, who has only made 12 senior appearances for French club Bastia, comes on for Fofana.

Ivory Coast comfortably clear a couple of corners and should now have secured a point...

A very disappointing opening-round display from Ivory Coast sees them escape with a 1-1 draw. A second-half red card to Roma winger Gervinho, who had been their standout player, seemed to spark them into action as substitute Seydou Doumbia cancelled out Mohamed Yattara's strike.

Group D's other fixture this evening showcases Cameroon on their return to the Africa Cup of Nations as they take on Mali. That game will be live on Sports Mole from 6.30pm. Until then, it's goodbye. Thanks for joining us.