Saidou snatched the winner after 85 minutes of a Group 3 thriller in the Atlantic city after Achille Webo had twice put Cameroon ahead and Didier Drogba had levelled twice.

A 30-metre Cameroon free kick eluded goalkeeper Gerard Gnanhouan, struck the base of a post and rebounded to Saidou, whose brave diving header under pressure from an Ivorian defender flew into the net.

It was a dramatic end to a wonderful advertisement for African football as a capacity 40,000 crowd at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium watched two of the best national teams on the continent slug it out blow for blow.

Victory lifted Cameroon one point above Ivory Coast to the top of the table with 20 points and a home win over Egypt next month will take the 'Indomitable Lions' to the World Cup in Germany.

Ivory Coast complete their 10-match programme away to Sudan, who impressed when holding Libya goalless in Tripoli Friday, and will probably have to settle for the consolation prize of a place at the 2006 African Nations Cup.

Among the crowd were Roman Abramovich and Jose Mourinho, owner and coach respectively of English Premiership champions Chelsea, who flew to west Africa by private jet to support dreadlocked Drogba.

Cameroon and Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o promised each player a 2,000-dollar bonus if they won and there was recall for veteran defender Raymond Kalla, who last played for his country at the 2002 World Cup.

Regular Ivory Coast goalkeeper Jean-Jacques Tizie failed a late fitness test, opening the door for France-based Gnanhouan as Ivory Coast defended a record of not conceding a goal at home in four previous qualifiers.

Webo from Spanish club Osasuna ended that record after 30 minutes, stretching his left foot to lob the ball over the stranded goalkeeper despite pressure from Arsenal defender Kolo Toure.

Drogba equalised eight minutes later with a snap close-range shot wide of Souleymanou Hamidou after fellow striker Aruna Dindane had weaved his way past veteran Cameroon defender Pierre Wome and pulled the ball back.

Webo struck again three minutes into first half stoppage time as a far-post cross was nodded back into his path and his header went into the net off a hand of Gnanhouan while several Ivorians stood motionless believing the ball ahd gone out of play.

Equality was restored two minutes into the second half when Drogba floated a 25-metre free kick over the wall and Hamidou and the ball dipped into the net to trigger wild celebrations.

An Ivorian drive cannoned off the woodwork to safety and another home attack ended with a fierce shot into the side netting before Saidou snatched the goal that broke Ivorian hearts.