A potential standoff over the qualification criteria for the 2016 Rio Olympics has been averted after the SA Football Association (Safa) and the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) reached common ground. The tough guidelines spelt out by Sascoc chief executive Tubby Reddy in July have fallen away after the two sports bodies agreed that the women's and men's football teams do not need to be ranked No1 on the continent to qualify.The men's side now only needs to achieve a top-three finish in the eight-team Under-23 Championships in Senegal in November to board the plane to the Brazil showpiece. The decision should come as a relief as Reddy also said at the time the under-23s had to win the event as part of the conditions.As part of the new agreement, Banyana Banyana will qualify for the Olympics should they earn one of the two berths available to the continent. Banyana are one of four women's national teams still standing in an elimination tournament that began in April - the other sides are Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Zimbabwe.story_article_left1''Football is the only sport whose qualification is only through Africa," Reddy said.''Everyone else is through world qualification. But unfortunately football does not have a qualification system besides the one through Africa.''And so the decision was since it is the only qualification process and groups, that if they qualify through their groups they will be taken. And if I remember correctly in the men it is the top three and in the women it is the top two."Safa chief executive Dennis Mumble said he was happy that the matter has been resolved and under-23 head coach Owen da Gama can concentrate on planning for the tricky eight-nations event in Senegal.The Confederation of African Football announced this week that Da Gama's charges would face hosts Senegal, Zambia and Tunisia in a tough Group A.Group B looks equally daunting as it comprises Egypt, Algeria, Mali and Nigeria.Mumble told Sunday Times that the under-23 side will take Bafana Bafana's place and represent South Africa in the back-to-back African Nations Championship qualifiers against Angola next month.story_article_right2The two-pronged plan is intended to give the under-23s an opportunity to play competitive matches as part of their preparations for the Senegal event, and to also alleviate the taxing schedule of matches Bafana face in the coming weeks.Bafana play away friendly matches against Costa Rica on October 8 and Honduras on October 13 and would have literally got off the plane to face Angola at home on October 17.To counter the envisaged logistical challenge, Da Gama will select an under-23 side that will be coached by Bafana coach Ephraim "Shakes" Mashaba.Safa does not envisage any problem with this arrangement as Da Gama, Mashaba and national under-20 coach Thabo Senong consult each other over selections.The Premier Soccer League (PSL) has agreed to suspend fixtures to give Da Gama more time to prepare for the Under-23 Championships.But Safa will still need small mercies from the PSL as the matches against Angola will not be played on dates designated by Fifa for international games.''Our relationship with the PSL is very solid and they understand the challenges we face," Mumble said...