YAYA TOURE ON COURSE FOR THIRD AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR ACCOLADE

The CAF has released the names of
25 candidates for this year’s edition,
while there are 21 names for the
best players based on the continent
Yaya Toure is on course to take home
his third African Player of the Year
award after the CAF published the
names of candidates for the 2013
prize, as well as a second accolade
which only involves players based on
the continent.
The long list for the premier
individual football prize in Africa is
made of 25 players, with AFCON
reigning champion Nigeria having
the highest number of
representatives with five players,
followed by Cote D'Ivoire, providing
three candidates, including Didier
Drogba.
Cape Verde, which broke onto the
continental scene this year at the
Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa,
also has two men representing it:
Platini and Ryan Mendes.
Roma summer signings Mehdi
Benatia and Gervinho make the list,
while new Borussia Dortmund
attacker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
is named among the nominees.
Egypt's Mohamed Aboutrika and
Ethiopian Saladin Said are the only
players based in Africa on the list
for the flagship award.
The category for the Africa-based
Player of the Year has 21 nominees,
including three from CAF Champions
League winner Al Ahly.
The winners will be announced at
the GLO-CAF Awards Gala scheduled
for Jan. 9, 2014 in Lagos, Nigeria.