The Ivory Coast defeated Benin 1-0 in Cotonou on Sunday to resume pole position in Group Three of 2006 World Cup qualifying.
Aruna Dindane scored the only goal of the game after 48 minutes to silence the 45,000 fans packed into the stadium.
The Elephants` win takes them to twelve points, two clear of Libya and four clear of Cameroon, who have not failed to reach a World Cup finals since 1986.
Benin supporters reacted angrily to a defeat which leaves the Squirrels, who have just two points from five games, seemingly out of the running for a place at the 2006 Cup of Nations.
The home side thought they had won a penalty when Ossemi Bachirou went down in the box but the referee cautioned the player for diving when television replays suggested the
forward had been brought down illegally.
The chance was Benin`s best effort of the match until Abou Maiga spurned a glorious opportunity to equalise Dindane`s low and well-placed shot.
With Squirrels supporters having thrown missiles onto the pitch late in the match to register their unhappinees, Maiga dribbled through the Ivorian defence and fired wide of goal with goalkeeper Jean-Jacques Tizie stranded.
On Saturday, Cameroon`s Indomitable Lions wasted the chance to put pressure on the Elephants when drawing 1-1 with Sudan in Khartoum, courtesy of Joseph-Desire Job`s injury time equaliser.
The evening before, Libya started a 48-hour lead at the top of Group Three when beating north African rivals Egypt 2-1 in Tripoli.
