Luanda — The Portuguese international football player, Abel Xavier, expressed on Thursday in Luanda his satisfaction at the evolution of sports with the investments made by the Angolan government in the construction of infrastructures and staff training.

Speaking to the press after the audience granted to him by the minister of Youth and Sports, Gonçalves Muandumba, the former Portuguese international player said that besides the construction of stadiums and other infrastructures to support the African Cup of Nations (CAN2010), the country may serve as an example in the training of footballers and other sports' players.

The player, who is in Luanda to learn about the preparations of CAN2010, said that he was informed by the Angolan sports minister about the projects and ambitious programmes of investments in this area.

Still about the audience, the sportsman said that issues related to the programmes for sports development and African Cup of Nations in football that the country will host in January 2010 topped the meeting with the sports minister.

Abel Xavier is in Angola at the invitation of the management board of the air company Air26, in the ambit of promoting that institution, taking into account the African Cup of Nations (CAN) to take place from 10 to 31 January 2010, in the cities of Luanda, Benguela, Cabinda and Lubango.

In his football career, the footballer played for Sport Lisboa e Benfica (Portugal), Liverpool (England), Galatasaray (Turkey), Middlesbrough (England) and Los Angeles Galaxy (USA).