Harare, Aug 12 (IANS): A football match between Zimbabwe and Zambia for the African Nations Championships (CHAN) was called off as the referees were stranded in Kenya.

The second round of the first leg fixture between Zimbabwe and Zambia was scheduled to take place at Rufaro stadium here Sunday, reports Xinhua.

But organisers called off the match, explaining that referees from Cameroon missed a connecting flight to Zimbabwe at Nairobi's international airport.

It remains unclear what caused the delay.

Organisers eventually moved the match to next Sunday after a protest by thousands of fans who had paid for the tickets.

Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) said they will refund over 5000 paying fans. The cheapest ticket cost $3.

Zambia qualified for the final round of the CHAN qualifiers after beating Botswana 3-1 on aggregate while Zimbabwe eliminated Mauritius 4-1 on aggregate.

The overall winners qualify for the 2014 finals to be held in South Africa.