EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Ivory Coast wasted a two-goal lead yesterday to draw 2-2 with Paraguay in a friendly that marked coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s first game in charge.

The Elephants controlled the game before Didier Drogba netted with a 54th-minute free kick that was deflected by the Paraguay wall and deceived goalkeeper Justo Villar.

“I was very happy with the first hour,” said Eriksson, who was appointed in March to lead Ivory Coast in South Africa. “I want to see a team which plays with each other and works as a unit. For one hour we did that. That’s very, very important.”

Drogba said the Swedish coach was having an effect after just one week working with the whole squad in the Swiss mountains.

“I think everybody understands the message the coach is trying to deliver,” Drogba said. “We’re still working and we still have some things to change.”

Substitute Soulemayne Bamba made it 2-0 in the 74th, arriving late at the far post to volley home a deep cross.

Paraguay substitute Lucas Barrios scored a minute later with a powerful low shot and Aureliano Torres then saw his free kick deflected into the Ivorians’ net in the 89th.

Eriksson and Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino have until tomorrow to reduce their rosters from 30 to the final 23 going to South Africa.

“We have a lot of good footballers and it’s up to me to get them to work together,” said Eriksson, who took England to the quarterfinals at the past two World Cups.

Ivory Coast have been together less than half the time Paraguay’s been in camp, and it showed in the sloppy play early on.

French referee Wilfried Bien allowed several tough challenges before showing Paraguay’s Jorge Achucarro a yellow card for a slicing tackle on Yaya Toure.

Ivory Coast stepped up the pace, and Aruna Dindane placed a left-foot shot wide at the end of a surging run, after Drogba cleverly cleared space for him to exploit.

Drogba had a shot loop across the goalmouth after being set up by Chelsea teammate Salomon Kalou.

Paraguay did not create a clear first-half chance, though Victor Caceres just failed to connect on a long free kick launched into the Ivorian goalmouth.

Drogba finally gave his team the lead with his 44th international goal, and Dindane had a chance to double the lead when he was played in by substitute Gervinho but his shot was blocked by Villar.

Instead, Bamba showed perfect timing to meet a deep free kick and give the Elephants a seemingly secure lead.

But a minute later Barrios pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area to beat goalkeeper Boubacar Barry.

Barry then denied Barrios an equalizer, pushing the ball clear from the Borussia Dortmund forward’s feet as he tried to dribble around the Ivorian keeper.

Paraguay got a deserved equalizer when Torres’ left-foot free kick from 25 meters (yards) spun off the defensive wall into the corner of the net.

The match was played in a stadium ruled inadequate for French second-division football. Host club Evian-Thonon-Gaillard won promotion from the third tier this year, and is seeking UEFA’s permission to cross the Swiss border and play home matches next season in Geneva.

Both teams have one more warmup match scheduled in Switzerland before traveling to South Africa.

Paraguay play Greece on Wednesday in Winterthur, and Ivory Coast face Japan at Sion on Friday.

At the World Cup, Paraguay start against defending champion Italy on June 14 in Cape Town, then play Slovakia and New Zealand in Group F.

The Ivorians kick off June 15 against Portugal in the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium at Port Elizabeth. Group G also includes Brazil and North Korea.