Kandia Traore scored for the Ivory Coast against Paraguay

The Ivory Coast and Paraguay battled out a 1-1 draw in an international friendly on Thursday in Japan.

The game is part of the three-team Kirin Cup with hosts Japan playing the Ivory Coast on Saturday and then Paraguay three days later.

The Elephants took the lead in the 73rd minute of the game, with striker Kandia Traore, who plays for French club Sochaux, tucking home a low right-wing cross from Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboue.

The west Africans were playing their first game under new Bosnian coach Vahid Halihodzic but were caught napping just three minutes after Traore's goal.

Reacting quickly to a knock-down, Cristian Bogado smashed a left-foot shot just inside the post from 20 metres to give Paraguay a share of the spoils at Mitsuzawa stadium.

The Elephants were without strikers Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou who played for their English club Chelsea against Manchester United in the European Champions League final in Russia on Wednesday evening.

Ivory Coast begin their 2010 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Mozambique on 1 June, Botswana and Madagascar are the other two sides in Group 7.