Portsmouth has claimed its first Premier League win of the season with a 3-1 home victory over Bolton as new Wanderers boss Sammy Lee suffered his third consecutive defeat.
Nicolas Anelka gave Lee a flying start with an early strike, but three minutes later Kanu, making his first start of the season, struck his first goal to equalise.
The former Arsenal striker set up Nigerian team-mate John Utaka to speed through for a second on the half hour, before Matt Taylor clinched the points four minutes from time from the penalty spot after Kanu had been brought down by Gerald Cid.
With Sol Campbell still out, record signing Sulley Muntari suspended and Pedro Mendes the latest casualty it was a tough ask again for Pompey after the battling midweek draw with Manchester United.
Pompey's task became harder as Anelka surged forward onto a pass by El-Hadji Diouf, held off Hermann Hreidarsson and blasted through the legs of goalkeeper David James to give Bolton a 12th-minute lead.
But Bolton's lead did not last long - three minutes to be precise - as Kanu tapped in the leveller after Utaka had set the opening up by knocking back Gary O'Neil's cross for the striker.
Bolton hit back, with Anelka sprinting down the right to fashion a cross which eventually fell for Mikel Alonso - older brother of Liverpool's Xabi - to strike a shot which was blocked.
But Benjani, looking as dangerous as he did against United in midweek, should have done better with another Utaka cross instead of heading over from close range.
The lead for Pompey was not far away, though, and Utaka's joy was unbounded as he sped clear on the half-hour mark onto Kanu's clever flick, rounded Jussi Jaaskelainen and fired home for his second goal of the campaign.
After the break, Pompey stopper James saved well from Speed and Utaka missed a chance to seal the points for Pompey, before Kanu was brought down in the closing minutes by Cid.
Taylor coolly wrong-footed Jaaskelainen with the resulting penalty to make sure of a 3-1 win for the unbeaten south coast side.
Pompey boss Harry Redknapp was elated by his side's efforts - declaring the result to be one of the best in his time at Fratton Park.
'This is one of the great wins for us. In the years I've been here that would be one of the very best of them."
"Today we had people playing in positions they've never really played before. It was a great performance."
English Premier League
Portsmouth 3 (Kanu 16, Utaka 30, Taylor 88p)
Bolton 1 (Anelka 12)