Yaya Toure favourite to be named Caf Player of the Year
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25669249

Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure is favourite to be named the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Footballer of the Year on Thursday.

It would be a third straight title for Toure, who also won December's BBC African Footballer of the Year award.

He is up against fellow Ivorian Didier Drogba, of Galatasaray, and Nigeria and Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.

The ceremony takes place in Lagos, Nigeria from 19:00 GMT.

Toure, 30, may not have won a major trophy for club and country last year but his class has shone through at both domestic level and for the Elephants of Ivory Coast.
Recent Caf Player of the Year winners

2012 Yaya Toure
2011 Yaya Toure
2010 Samuel Eto'o
2009 Didier Drogba
2008 Emmanuel Adebayor
2007 Frederic Kanoute
2006 Didier Drogba

His form led to him being the only African to be included on the 23-man shortlist for Fifa's World Player of the Year.

His closest rival will be Mikel, 26, who helped Nigeria win the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa and also featured in Chelsea's Europa League win.

Former Arsenal striker Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigerian star to win the prestigious award in 1999.

Ex-Chelsea favourite Drogba, 35, was runner-up in 2012 but won the Caf award in 2006 and 2009.

Meanwhile, Nigeria coach Stephen Keshi is in line to become only the third Nigerian to be named the continent's best coach.

He guided Nigeria to a third Nations Cup victory and in November steered the Super Eagles to qualification for their fifth World Cup finals.

Manu Garba, who led Nigeria to win a fourth under-17 World Cup last year, and Belgian coach Paul Put, who guided Burkina Faso to the final of the 2013 Nations Cup, are the other nominees.

Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Ethiopia will contest the National Team of the Year title, while Al Ahly of Egypt, Tunisia's CS Sfaxien and Orlando Pirates from South Africa will vie for the Club of the Year.

Cairo giants Ahly extended their dominance in the Caf Champions League when they won an eighth trophy at the expense of Orlando Pirates, while Sfaxien won a third CAF Confederation Cup title.

Saleh Gomaa, of Egypt's under-20 team, Ghana under-20's Ebenezer Assifuah, and Nigeria's star of the under-17 World cup, Kelechi Iheanacho, will battle for the Most Promising Talent Award.

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nigerians nd sentiments. ronaldo shud win world best and yaya shud nt win africa best. what did ronaldo win?. yaya wins jare