A source from the Lisbon police force told Lusa on Friday morning, that the youngsters "were absent from the hotel unit on Thursday night, without the knowledge of those responsible for the team", and that they have not returned until the moment.

The alert was given early this morning by those responsible for the Sao Tome selection, in coordination with the Portuguese Football Federation, the police added, indicating that steps are underway to locate the youths.

The Sao Tome and Principe under-18 team of played a preparation match against Portugal on Wednesday and lost by 7 - 0.

The match ended a short three-day internship of the Portuguese under-18 team, trained by Emílio Peixe.