LUANDA, May 8 - Lying on the dark mahogany desk of the general secretary of the Angolan Football Federation, in the bowels of Luanda's Cidadela sports complex, is a dog-eared copy of a pre-season guide to the Portuguese league.

The colourful book, issued annually by the daily newspaper A'Bola and called "Cadernos", has become a bible of sorts for Angola's international football aspirations.

It has allowed successive Angolan coaches and officials to find players with connections to their country playing in the league of their former colonial power Portugal and effectively add a more competitive edge to their national side, the "Palancas Negras" -- the Black Antelopes.

Portugal, who, ironically, meet the Angolans in their first game at the World Cup finals in Cologne on June 11, have a 500-year association with Angola and left the country in 1975 when independence was won.

With it came a brutal civil war and the large-scale departure of the descendants of Portuguese settlers back to the motherland.

It is from these families that Angola have found a steady source of quality footballers, few of whom have any more links to the country save for a birthplace and the fading memories of their parents.

OFFICIAL POLICY

Just over 10 years ago, when Angola first qualified for the African Nations Cup finals, coach Carlos Alhinho travelled to Lisbon and offered trials to Portuguese players born in Angola.

It started an official policy for the Angolan Football Federation of actively pursuing players across the world with links to the country.

A stylish midfielder at Benfica and FC Porto and former Portugal international, Alhinho himself came from the colonies, born in the Cape Verde islands, and was well aware of the rich pickings available to the former Portuguese territories if they were to look for players in the Portuguese league.

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