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Home team Nigeria, which still leads the group, led 4-0 after 31 minutes at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in the southern city of Benin with a brace by Alex Iwobi and further goals by Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze.

The Leone Stars then began their recovery with a goal two minutes from the break through Quame Quee who sprinted clear of the Nigeria defence before slotting past goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

The visitors stepped up after the interval with substitutes Al-hadji Kamara and Mustapha Bundu stunning the host team with three goals in 14 minutes.

Randers of Denmark striker Kamara pulled a goal back for the Leone Stars, when he nodded home a cross from the left in the 71st minute.

Anderlecht forward Bundu further reduced the deficit when he powered home a superb left-footed strike on 79 minutes, before the Leone Stars completed an incredible comeback courtesy of Al-hadji Kamara’s 85th minute header.

Nigeria still leads the Africa Cup qualifying group with seven points from three matches, while Sierra Leone now has two points.

Both teams clash again in Freetown on Wednesday (AEDT).

Meanwhile, South Africa needed a Bongani Zungu goal on 90 minutes in Durban to seal a laboured 2-0 win over minnow Sao Tome e Principe despite 110 places dividing them in the world rankings.

Percy Tau put Bafana Bafana ahead on 55 minutes from the penalty spot after he was fouled and Zungu nodded a corner past substitute goalkeeper Nilson Taty.

It was another unimpressive showing by South Africa under coach Molefi Ntseki, who has achieved just three victories in six African Cup of Nations and friendly international outings.

Ghana leads Group C with a maximum nine points, South Africa has six, Sudan three and Sao Tome remains pointless. 

Morocco was the most impressive of the five winning nations on Saturday (AEDT), hammering the Central African Republic 4-1 in Rabat with Chelsea midfielder Hakim Ziyech bagging a brace.

The triumph under Bosnia & Herzegovina-born coach Vahid Halilhodzic enabled Morocco to replace Mauritania as the Group E frontrunner.

Tunisia and Mali, both top-10 ranked countries in Africa, would have expected to win more convincingly than 1-0 at home to Tanzania and Namibia respectively.

Both needed penalties to succeed with Youssef Msakni scoring after 18 minutes for Tunisia in Rades and El Bilal Toure after 33 minutes for Mali in Bamako.

Tunisia tops Group J with nine points, six more than Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Tanzania, and Mali shares first place in Group A with Guinea on seven points followed by Namibia with three while Chad has none.