Manuel Pellegrini will have to wait. His midfield talisman and his expensive new signing are staying in Equatorial Guinea a little longer. They are both yet to impress at this Africa Cup of Nations, but Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony are into the quarter-finals to face Algeria, rather than flying back to England to play Chelsea. But it was not down to a significant contribution from either man that the Ivory Coast progressed. Indeed, Toure was withdrawn 10 minutes from time, with a possibly worrying injury. Ivory Coast winger Max Gradel (left) watches as his shot hits the back of Cameroon's net after 35 minutes . Saint Etienne winger Gradel celebrates passionately after giving his country the lead on Wednesday night . Gradel (No 15) celebrates with his team-mates including Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony in the first half . Cameroon (4-4-2): Ondoa; Guihoata, Nkoulou, Chedjou, Bedimo; Salli (Aboubakar 46 mins); Mandjeck, Mbia, Moukandjo (Njie 67); Choupo-Moting, Etoundi (Kweuke 56) Subs not used: Ndy Assembe, Loe, Oyongo, Bagnack, Enoh, Djeugoue, Kom, Ekeng Ekeng, Abogo . Ivory Coast (3-4-1-2): Gbohouo; K Toure, Bailly (Viera 27), Kanon; Aurier, Die, Y Toure (Doukoure 82) Tiene; Gradel; Doumbia (Tallo 60), Bony . Subs not used: Barry, Roger, Kalou,  Akpa Akpro, Diomande, Traore, Sayouba . Booked: Bailly, Yaya Toure, Gbohouo . Goal: Gradel . But progress was ensure by Max Gradel, who won the game with a goal that could easily be the best we see all tournament. Having robbed Jerome Guihoata of possession on the left wing, the former Leeds winger cut inside and lashed a vicious shot at goal from 25 yards. The pace, swerve and accuracy of the shot saw it beat the otherwise excellent Joseph Ondoa, finding the corner of the net beyond the despairing goalkeeper's dive. Ivory Coast, ahead for the first time in the competition, sat back on their lead, inviting pressure from a Cameroon side who knew that defeat would see them crash out. But aside from a flurry of chances late in the first half, the previously leaky Ivorian defence held firm. And they should really have wrapped the game up on the break, Serge Aurier firing meekly at Ondoa before City's new striker fluffed a chance to seal the win. In Bony's defence he did brilliantly to hold off the scarcely legal challenge of Nicolas Nkoulou, to get his shot away, but having escaped the defender's clutches his finish was not of the standard you would expect from a £28million forward. Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure (right) tussles with Cameroon's Eric Choupo Moting in Malabo . Manchester City new boy Wilfried Bony (right) rises highest to win a header against Nicolas N'Koulou . Liverpool defender Kolo Toure (right) attempts to block a shot from Cameroon's Edgar Salli . There were 61 fouls during Ivory Coast's win against Cameroon - the most ever recorded by Opta in an Africa Cup of Nations game. Substitute Junior Tallo almost manufactured himself a late goal as well, but it would not matter as the Elephants held on. Both sides had come into the game desperate to avoid the complicated possibility of drawing lots, with Liverpool defender Kolo Toure promising that after two disappointing performances we would see 'the real Ivory Coast' in this deciding game. And his team-mates seemed determined to prove him right, producing comfortably their most incisive football of the tournament so far, against what, on paper at least, ought to have been their toughest opponents. At the heart of everything was Gradel, the livewire winger who was only given his chance in this competition because of Gervinho's mindless red card in the first game against Guinea. Gradel came off the bench in the second match against Mali, and earned himself a place in the starting line-up with a late equaliser. Eric Bailly of the Ivory Coast (left) cuts back under pressure from Cameroon midfielder Edgar Salli . Serge Wilfried Kanon (left) goes down as he attempts to challenge Cameroon's Benjamin Moukandjo . Bony is held back by Nicolas Nkoulou as he attempts to burst through on goal in Malabo . Against Cameroon he fully justified that selection, creating early chances for Bony and Yaya Toure before scoring his wonderful opener. Bony in particular should have done better with his chance in just the fifth minute, but he could only meet an awkward cross with his thigh, and Barcelona keeper Ondoa was able to react quickly and push the effort away. Toure was also denied by the 19-year-old keeper after powering a header low and on target midway through the first half, as the Ivorians created more clear-cut chances in the first 20 minutes than their first two matches. But it was after falling behind to Gradel's thunderstrike that Cameroon began to create chances of their own, the best two of which fell to Edgar Salli. Ivory Coast's players including Bony (left) and Lacina Traore celebrate after the final whistle . Stephen Mbia (left) keeps his eyes focused on the ball as Yaya Toure closes him down . The Cameroon winger beat the Ivorian offside trap just moments after his side had fallen behind only to fire straight at Guelassiognon Gbohouo, and had another great opportunity on the stroke of half-time. A brilliant run from Benjamin Moukandjo opened up the Elephants's defence, his pass released Salli, whose first touch took him beyond the defence and into the box. But, once again, having done the hard work, his shot was poor, blasting over the bar when he should really have scored. It was no surprise when Salli was hooked at the interval, but his replacement Vincent Aboubakar did little to spark a recovery. The introduction of Lyon winger Clinton Njie did at least lift the crowd, but not the standard of attacking play, and the Ivorians held out for their place in the quarter-final.
Ex-Leeds winger Max Gradel scored in the 35th minute to seal victory .
Ivory Coast face Algeria in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations .
Manchester City duo Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony will not face Chelsea .
Manuel Pellegrini's side travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday .
Manuel Pellegrini will have to wait. His midfield talisman and his expensive new signing are staying in Equatorial Guinea a little longer. They are both yet to impress at this Africa Cup of Nations, but Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony are into the quarter-finals to face Algeria, rather than flying back to England to play Chelsea. But it was not down to a significant contribution from either man that the Ivory Coast progressed. Indeed, Toure was withdrawn 10 minutes from time, with a possibly worrying injury. Ivory Coast winger Max Gradel (left) watches as his shot hits the back of Cameroon's net after 35 minutes . Saint Etienne winger Gradel celebrates passionately after giving his country the lead on Wednesday night . Gradel (No 15) celebrates with his team-mates including Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony in the first half . Cameroon (4-4-2): Ondoa; Guihoata, Nkoulou, Chedjou, Bedimo; Salli (Aboubakar 46 mins); Mandjeck, Mbia, Moukandjo (Njie 67); Choupo-Moting, Etoundi (Kweuke 56) Subs not used: Ndy Assembe, Loe, Oyongo, Bagnack, Enoh, Djeugoue, Kom, Ekeng Ekeng, Abogo . Ivory Coast (3-4-1-2): Gbohouo; K Toure, Bailly (Viera 27), Kanon; Aurier, Die, Y Toure (Doukoure 82) Tiene; Gradel; Doumbia (Tallo 60), Bony . Subs not used: Barry, Roger, Kalou,  Akpa Akpro, Diomande, Traore, Sayouba . Booked: Bailly, Yaya Toure, Gbohouo . Goal: Gradel . But progress was ensure by Max Gradel, who won the game with a goal that could easily be the best we see all tournament. Having robbed Jerome Guihoata of possession on the left wing, the former Leeds winger cut inside and lashed a vicious shot at goal from 25 yards. The pace, swerve and accuracy of the shot saw it beat the otherwise excellent Joseph Ondoa, finding the corner of the net beyond the despairing goalkeeper's dive. Ivory Coast, ahead for the first time in the competition, sat back on their lead, inviting pressure from a Cameroon side who knew that defeat would see them crash out. But aside from a flurry of chances late in the first half, the previously leaky Ivorian defence held firm. And they should really have wrapped the game up on the break, Serge Aurier firing meekly at Ondoa before City's new striker fluffed a chance to seal the win. In Bony's defence he did brilliantly to hold off the scarcely legal challenge of Nicolas Nkoulou, to get his shot away, but having escaped the defender's clutches his finish was not of the standard you would expect from a £28million forward. Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure (right) tussles with Cameroon's Eric Choupo Moting in Malabo . Manchester City new boy Wilfried Bony (right) rises highest to win a header against Nicolas N'Koulou . Liverpool defender Kolo Toure (right) attempts to block a shot from Cameroon's Edgar Salli . There were 61 fouls during Ivory Coast's win against Cameroon - the most ever recorded by Opta in an Africa Cup of Nations game. Substitute Junior Tallo almost manufactured himself a late goal as well, but it would not matter as the Elephants held on. Both sides had come into the game desperate to avoid the complicated possibility of drawing lots, with Liverpool defender Kolo Toure promising that after two disappointing performances we would see 'the real Ivory Coast' in this deciding game. And his team-mates seemed determined to prove him right, producing comfortably their most incisive football of the tournament so far, against what, on paper at least, ought to have been their toughest opponents. At the heart of everything was Gradel, the livewire winger who was only given his chance in this competition because of Gervinho's mindless red card in the first game against Guinea. Gradel came off the bench in the second match against Mali, and earned himself a place in the starting line-up with a late equaliser. Eric Bailly of the Ivory Coast (left) cuts back under pressure from Cameroon midfielder Edgar Salli . Serge Wilfried Kanon (left) goes down as he attempts to challenge Cameroon's Benjamin Moukandjo . Bony is held back by Nicolas Nkoulou as he attempts to burst through on goal in Malabo . Against Cameroon he fully justified that selection, creating early chances for Bony and Yaya Toure before scoring his wonderful opener. Bony in particular should have done better with his chance in just the fifth minute, but he could only meet an awkward cross with his thigh, and Barcelona keeper Ondoa was able to react quickly and push the effort away. Toure was also denied by the 19-year-old keeper after powering a header low and on target midway through the first half, as the Ivorians created more clear-cut chances in the first 20 minutes than their first two matches. But it was after falling behind to Gradel's thunderstrike that Cameroon began to create chances of their own, the best two of which fell to Edgar Salli. Ivory Coast's players including Bony (left) and Lacina Traore celebrate after the final whistle . Stephen Mbia (left) keeps his eyes focused on the ball as Yaya Toure closes him down . The Cameroon winger beat the Ivorian offside trap just moments after his side had fallen behind only to fire straight at Guelassiognon Gbohouo, and had another great opportunity on the stroke of half-time. A brilliant run from Benjamin Moukandjo opened up the Elephants's defence, his pass released Salli, whose first touch took him beyond the defence and into the box. But, once again, having done the hard work, his shot was poor, blasting over the bar when he should really have scored. It was no surprise when Salli was hooked at the interval, but his replacement Vincent Aboubakar did little to spark a recovery. The introduction of Lyon winger Clinton Njie did at least lift the crowd, but not the standard of attacking play, and the Ivorians held out for their place in the quarter-final.
of Nations, but Yaya Toure and Wilfried Bony are into the quarter-finals to face Algeria, rather winger Max Gradel (left) watches as his shot hits Manchester City new boy Wilfried Bony (right) Opta in an Africa Cup of Nations game. Substitute equaliser. Eric Bailly of the Ivory Coast (left)