Manchester City and Cote d’Ivoire midfielder Yaya Toure has been named the 2013 British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) African Footballer of the Year.
After being nominated for the fifth straight year but only winning it for the very first time, Yaya could not hide his delight at fending off competition from Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Burkinabe Jonathan Pitroipa, and the Nigerian due of John obi Mikel and Victor Moses.
“Thank you to all the fans around the world who continue to support me and who love me a lot”, BBC quoted Yaya as saying.
“I’m very proud; I’m very happ; this award is amazing. It’s the fifth time in a row and this time is very special”.
After Toure received the award at Manchester City’s Carrington training ground on Monday, Current Affairs Editor of BBC Africa, Vera Kwakofi spoke highly of the Ivoirian.
“We are pleased for Yaya Toure that he has finally won the BBC African Footballer of the Year on his fifth nomination for the award”, Vera said. “This shows the high esteem in which he is held by lovers of African football and the respect the fans have for his exploits for club and country”.
Toure is also in the running for the 2013 Confederation of African Football (CAF) African Footballer of the Year, an award he has won in the last two years. And should he win this time, he would have equalled Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o’s feat of winning in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
