By BBC International Publicity
Published December 3, 2013
The winner of this year’s BBC African Footballer of the Year award is Manchester City star, Yaya Toure. Ivory Coast’s Toure, whose successes this year already include 13 goals for club and country, was the choice of the BBC’s global audience.
Toure held off competition from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon who plays for Borussia Dortmund), Nigeria’s Victor Moses (who plays for Liverpool) and John Obi Mikel (who plays for Chelsea), and Burkinabe Jonathan Pitroipa who plays for Rennes.
BBC’s Peter Okwoche presented Toure with the trophy on Monday, December 2, 2013 at Manchester City’s training ground, Carrington. The announcement was made from Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium in a simulcast broadcast on the Focus on Africa programme on BBC World News Television and on BBC World Service radio at 17.35 GMT. The announcement was also streamed on the BBC News and Sport websites.
“Thank you to all the fans around the world who continue to support me and who love me a lot. I’m very proud, I’m very happy, this award is amazing. It’s the fifth time in a row [being nominated] and this time is very special,” Yaya Toure said.
BBC Africa’s Current Affairs Editor, Vera Kwakofi, said: “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. 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.”
Previous winners of the BBC African Footballer of the Year award include Christopher Katongo, Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew, Asamoah Gyan, Didier Drogba, Mohamed Aboutrika, Emmanuel Adebayor, Michael Essien, Jay-Jay Okocha, Samuel Kuffour, Nwankwo Kanu and George Weah.
