Ivory Coast's star midfielder Yaya Touré has joined an exclusive club of
three-time African footballer of the year winners.
Yaya Touré, the Ivory
Coast
midfielder, has landed his third successive African footballer of the year
award. The Manchester City player edged out Nigeria's Mikel John Obi
and fellow Ivorian Didier Drogba to make it a hat-trick of wins, emulating
Abedi Pele and Samuel Eto'o.
Twenty-four hours after scoring in City's 6-0 demolition of West Ham
United in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final, a teary-eyed Touré picked
up the award at a gala ceremony in Lagos.
"I'm very proud and happy to be the winner today," Touré told the audience. "I congratulate
my brother Obi Mikel who deserved it as well. It's an unbelievable award for
all those who helped me through my career a lot and those who supported me for
a long time."
The Ivorian came top of a poll voted by Africa's national team coaches.
Touré's success came at the end of a bleak 12-month period for
individual achievement by African footballers. His official citation praised
him for helping the Ivorians to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil but the
choice is more likely for his consistency at club level and the dominant role
he plays at Manchester City.
Chelsea's Mikel was on the shortlist after helping Nigeria to the
African Nations Cup title in February.
Abedi Pele of Ghana won three in a row between 1991–93 while the
Cameroonian Eto'o took the award from 2003-05 and also won it in 2010
Super Eagles coach, Stephen Keshi, won African Coach of the Year. Congrats to all the winners...
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