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Harry Redknapp saluted the "unique" Kanu after his inspirational cameo helped keep their chase for Europe on course.
Harry Redknapp saluted the "unique" Kanu after his inspirational cameo helped keep their chase for Europe on course.
The 31-year-old striker replaced Milan Baros in the 64th minute in Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Sunderland, inspiring Pompey to third a consecutive win.
Portsmouth won the match thanks to a 70th-minute penalty from Jermaine Defoe after a naive challenge by Sunderland's Phil Bardsley on Niko Kranjcar settled a dismal contest.
But Redknapp was keen to praise the contribution of Kanu.
"I thought Kanu did fantastic when he came on," Redknapp said.
"He's unique. He can hold the ball up for us, make others play and make opponents bounce off him.
"Last week, he played for the reserves in training against the first team and they couldn't get near him.
"His skill is just unbelievable and just imagine what he was like when he was young."
Defoe is cup-tied for the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United in two weeks' time after he played in the competition for Tottenham.
And Redknapp insisted Kanu - who will almost certainly be rested against Everton next Sunday - must be wrapped in cotton-wool to help keep Pompey's FA Cup final dream alive.
"It would be a blow if we lose him to another injury," Redknapp added.
"He's just come back from one and we are short of strikers for the cup. So we have to be careful with him.
"I decided to start with Jermaine and Milan Baros against Sunderland but then I knew we needed Kanu for 30 minutes and he made all the difference."
Even so, there were few content with much of the dross on display during an almost unrelentingly drab afternoon on the south coast.
Yet, it turned out another splendid voyage for the good ship Pompey - now firmly on course for the haven of Europe next season after they climbed to seventh in the table.
Kranjcar denied he fell too easily when, having stumbled past Sunderland's new £4million midfielder Andy Reid, he slumped at the feet of full-back Bardsley.
He said: "It was definitely a penalty. He took my feet off the ground. I would never go down deliberately."
The result landed Sunderland with an unwanted club record of 10 consecutive away league defeats and they have not won on their travels in the top flight since January 2006.
They battered Pompey 2-0 six weeks ago, a rare away defeat for a club whose form away from Fratton Park has been key to their place in the top seven.
Surprisingly, Portsmouth's have now won only four at home in the league.
At times on Saturday, the Black Cats looked mere pussy cats, especially in attack, and they will need to finally end their away-day blues at bottom side Derby next weekend to restore belief in their ability to beat the drop.
Roy Keane, as ever, was brutally honest about his side's failings.
He said: "We certainly have to show much more going forward because one lapse at the back and we get punished for it.
"With the record we have, confidence is sure to be low but sometimes you have to step up to the plate and make things happen.
"Okay, we hope one away win will change things - but to be fair we've been saying that since August.
"Of course it is a big game at Derby but that's mostly because it is the next game. At Portsmouth, we never looked like scoring at all."
Keane found at least some comfort in the comeback of Grant Leadbitter and the first start of his fellow Irishman Reid - even though Pompey fans cruelly taunted the latter over his girth when he was brought off before the end.
Keane added: "I was pleased with Reidy, in terms of his quality. Like Leadbitter, whose been out a while, he was bound to tire but he's trained well and has the benefit of another full week before we play Derby. He'll be sharper then
"He got a bit of stick from the Portsmouth fans but fans will always have go at you and any decent player will see that as a challenge. I certainly did when I played."