Former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo says he has not closed the door on a return to the Super Eagles.

The Shanghai Shenhua striker reveals he has been getting calls from fans to rescind his decision to quit the national team.

The former Watford striker is extremely happy at making the 10-man shortlist for the 2019 African Footballer of the Year award.

Ighalo announced his retirement at the end of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Ighalo was top scorer at the 2019 AFCON with five goals.

South Africa is no longer in the race to host the 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament because of the country’s current economic instability.

The country’s football association, SAFA, says it wants to focus on improving the women’s game, particularly the fledgling national league, before bidding for another international tournament.

South Africa is suffering through an economic crisis with several of its parastatal entities in trouble, like electricity, railways and the national airline.  SAFA says spending government money on a sports tournament at this time would likely not sit well with many.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has imposed a four-year ban on Russia from all major sporting events.

It means the Russian flag and anthem will not be allowed at events such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, and football’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

But athletes who can prove they are untainted by the doping scandal will be able to compete under a neutral flag.

This ban comes after Russia’s Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) was declared non-compliant for manipulating laboratory data handed over to investigators back in January. It is the most severe punishment yet connected to the cheating scheme, which peaked at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Wada says RUSADA has 21 days to appeal against the ban. If it does so, the appeal will be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS).