Luanda — The deputy chairman of the Angolan Football Federation (FAF), Rui Costa, said last Tuesday in Luanda that increasing the number of teams in the national first division males soccer championship (Girabola) depends on a lot of advances, starting from improvements in the junior categories and number of clubs based outside of Luanda.

Speaking to ANGOP, on the fringes of the swearing-in ceremony of the new managing board of Benfica de Luanda club, the official said that the competition is not yet prepared to comprise 16 teams.

Rui Costa justified this position by saying that the competition basic categories should be improved and then increase the number of teams, both in the junior and senior categories countrywide.

"Increasing the number of teams for next football season is only a will of some people. In the last tournament, three teams were relegated and this year will be the same. During the meeting with the associates held in the northern Malange Province, we puto forward the idea of increasing the teams in 2010 and it is recorded in a report", adding that improvements are expected in the scheduled date, the official highlighted.

The suggestion of increasing the number of teams emerged in the third broad meeting involving the provincial football associations.

The national championship comprises 14 teams.

The first division tournament last had 16 teams in 1998.