The kick-off time for next year's Olympic soccer final has been brought forward two hours to avoid the Greek mid-day sun, FIFA said on Monday.

FIFA's Emergency Committee ratified the earlier start in Athens and also formally approved the format for the women's competition, world soccer's governing body said.

The final of the men's tournament will take place on August 28 in Athens' Olympic Stadium at 10am local time.

The move to play the match two hours earlier than originally scheduled -- taken in the interests of players' health -- will provide the benefit of cooler mid-morning temperatures on the pitch, FIFA said.

The committee also approved the adoption of a modified format and match schedule for the women's event.

The group stage of the 10-team competition will be played with two groups of three and one group of four, with eight teams advancing to the knockout quarter-final stage.

The final will be held on August 26 at 9pm local time in the Athens football venue at Karaiskaki.

The decisions taken ratified the agreements struck at a working group meeting between FIFA, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games Athens 2004 (ATHOC) in Zurich on 15 July 2003.

During that meeting, ATHOC also assured FIFA that the development of the Athens soccer venue at Karaiskaki would be completed on time, and that the venue would be available by the end of June 2004.

FIFA welcomed these assurances, indicated its satisfaction with the current schedule, and expressed its confidence in ATHOC's ability to deliver as promised.

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