Goodbye Athens. This is the sad fate of the South African under-23 team, who were beaten by Zambia in an Olympic qualifying match at Nchanga Stadium in Chingola yesterday.

Mathematically, AmaGlug-Glug still have the slightest of chances, but that is at the mercy of the other teams. The South Africans put up a great fight, but the victory puts Zambia on top of Group D with seven points in their four matches. They beat the South Africans 1-0 in the first round on January 3.

Kenneth "Conti" Kubheka's team will have to beat Ghana at home on March 13 and Algeria away on March 29, but even that will not guarantee their ticket to Athens.

The man who stole the show for the wrong reasons in this encounter was Malawian referee Youngson Chilunda, who was, to any neutral observer, too generous to the home side. Nasief Morris had to be restrained by his skipper Benedict Vilakazi from manhandling the ref after the match.

There was a huge question mark over the free kick Chilunda gave to the Zambians in the seventh minute. He adjudged the AmaGlug-Glug keeper to have fouled Jacob Mulenga outside the box. From the resulting dead ball Isaac Chansa pushed the ball to unmarked Kaizer Chiefs-bound striker Collins Mbesuma, who blasted in the opener.

To their credit, the South Africans did get their act together after conceding this goal, and their continual bombardment of the home team's area paid off in the 15th minute when Mabhudi Khanyeza equalised after exchanging passes with Vilakazi.

It was always going to be in doubt as to which way the match would unfold in the second half, but overall the Zambians had the upper hand, culminating in the winner through Mulenga's header in the 71st minute.

Substitute Chris Katongo created Mulenga's goal, beating Tsietsi Mahoa on the right before crossing a ball that went directly between Harpur and Francois Adams into Mulenga's path.

The pitch also made matters difficult for both sides, with the rain that fell two nights before the game making it difficult to move the ball around as the ground was studded with small pools in some areas of play.

Kubheka admitted in the end that his team was all but out and had only harsh words for the referee.

"As in our first match against Ghana, the referee had a hand in our defeat. It's so disappointing because as coaches we work very hard to prepare the teams, only for one man, not even a player, to decide the outcome.

"My boys played their hearts out, although we gave Zambia some leeway in the second period."

The Zambians played after having protested about not being paid allowances for their efforts in the All Africa Games in Nigeria late last year - nor for their 1-0 win over South Africa in January. So poor is the economy of Zambia that the squad travelled by bus to their match in South Africa.

Zambia will host Algeria on March 13 and then travel to Ghana on March 29 for the match that could send the cash-strapped team to Greece.

Second-placed Algeria visit Ghana in Accra today with the winner likely to go top.

Scorers

Zambia: Collins Mbesuma (7min), Jacob Mulenga (72min).

South Africa: (Mabhudi Khanyeza 15min).