Olympic Qualifier: Zambia 0 Ghana 0

ZAMBIA still has a chance, said under-23 coach Peter Kaumba after his team played uninspiring and disjointed football to draw 0-0 with Ghana.

Ghana now lead group D of the Olympic Games qualifiers on four points as South Africa massacred Algeria 4-1. Zambia has been left rooted at the bottom of the group with only a point to talk about.

But despite South Africa and Algeria having three points each, Kaumba thinks Zambia can overtake everyone in the group and qualify.

Kaumba is relying on chance for Zambia to break the 16 year old absence, having last qualified for the games in 1988.

"Every team still has a chance and we cannot count ourselves out. Football is a game of chances. It is not a question of home ground advantage that is why I think Zambia still has a chance in the return leg," said Kaumba.

"We have to work very hard in the return leg so that we create the chances we had. There's nothing impossible."

Zambia started the game on a good note and their first attempt to score arrived in the 19th minute when Green Buffaloes collected the ball from the dip.

But despite brushing challengers that came his way, Katongo could only manage to shoot wide as fans shouted in disappointment.

Seven minutes later, Katongo again combined well with his midfield club mate Noel Mwandila who set Power Dynamos striker Isaac Chansa through.

But Chansa casually hit directly into the palms of Ghana's goalstopper George Owu.

Ghana then counter attacked through dangerman Ben Boateng, who, though, wasted his opportunity by shooting into the skies.

If Boateng played with a little more patience, he could have finished off Zambia by not less than three goals but the hosts escaped the torture, courtesy of his inaccurate finishing.

On the restart, Zambia came in with some life and could have gone up in the 50th minute when Zanaco midfielder Newa Mwewa released the ball to Songwe Chalwe.

Again, it was another wasted chance-Chalwe shot was stopped by Owu.

Kaumba is the best person to know why he did not make any substitution in the first half but when he did in the second stanza, he started by pulling out Kombe, a striker, for Kamuzati Kabwe, a defender.

Then Kaumba he removed Zanaco's midfielder Sipo Mumbi for Nchanga Rangers' Emmanuel Chimpinde.

Though he exhausted his substitutions by introducing Kitwe United's William Chinse for Newa Mwewa, there was the midfield still remained porous and coupled with a permeable backline, the Ghanaians took turns in punishing Zambia but goalkeeper Kalilo Kakonje was outstanding at his work.

Though Ghana also made three substitutions, they were one man down towards the end when Shilla Iliasu picked a second yellow.

Zambian players got three yellow cards for various offences while their opponents had two.

Ralf Zumdick, the outgoing Ghanaian coach said the game could have gone both ways.

"Both Zambia and Ghana missed many chances but my team missed more," he said.

Zambia's next assignment in the qualifiers is January 4 when they travel to South Africa. During the same weekend, Ghana will entertain Algeria.

Line-up Owu, Patrick Villars/Abass Inusah, Shilla Illiasu,, Coleman, Obour, Chibsah, Owusu-Ansah, Yahuzah, Michael Osei/Asamoah Gyan, Kojo Poku, Dong-Bortey/Shaibu Yakubu