Shanghai, Nov 22 - Cote D'Ivoire striker Didier Drogba has asked FIFA for special permission to leave China's Shanghai Shenhua on loan despite being outside the official transfer window.
The former Chelsea star is believed to be keen to play for a new team to prepare for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as Chinese Super League season has finished, reports Xinhua.
"The FIFA administration services are looking into it," FIFA said in a statement Wedneday.
It is not known whether Drogba has a club lined up to move to but he has been linked with a move back to Marseille, the club he left for Chelsea in 2004, as well as Liverpool.
Drogba joined Shenhua in June on a two-and-a-half-year deal after helping Chelsea to the Champions League title.
The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations will be held in South Africa between Jan 19 and Feb 10. (IANS)
Madrid, May 21 : Jose Mourinho's three-year term as coach of Spanish football giants Real Madrid will end June 30.
St. Petersburg, May 21 : The completion date for Zenit St. Petersburg's $1.1 billion stadium has been put back again and it may not open until 2017, a decade after construction work began, the head 
New Delhi, May 21 : While refusing to ban the remaining IPL matches, the Supreme Court Tuesday slammed the BCCI, saying spot fixing incidents had taken place due to its lackadaisical approach in reining in the erring players. 
Hyderabad, May 21 - West Indies captain Darren Sammy says he was ecstatic after scoring the winning hits that propelled Sunrisers Hyderabad into the playoffs of the Indian Premier league (IPL). 
Mumbai, May 15 : India's only motorcycle Grand Prix team resumes battle in France this weekend with high hopes of strong results after a top-10 start for the all-new Mahindra Grand Prix machine. 
Dijon-Prenois (France), May 13 : Indian racing driver Sailesh Bolisetti's second weekend of his 2013 Euro Race Car campaign ended on a disappointing note as he finished 18th and 17th in the two races here.