Toure in frame for 5th Caf title

MANCHESTER City midfielder Yaya Toure is in the frame to win a fifth straight African Player of the Year award.

Toure has been included on an initial list of 37 names for the Confederation of African Football’s annual title which will be announced on December 22. The Ivory Coast captain led his side to the Africa Cup of Nations title in February in Equatorial Guinea.

DR Congo keeper Robert Kidiaba is one four players also on a 24-man list for the Africa-based player of the year. If Toure claims a fifth title he will overtake Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, who has won the award four times.

Toure’s international team-mates Gervinho, Max Gradel and Serge Aurier are the other names on the international list from the Nation Cup winning squad.

List of players nominated for Caf’s African Player of the year award:

Ahmed Musa – CSKA Moscow (Russia) and Nigeria

Andre Ayew – Swansea City (England) and Ghana

Aymen Abdennour – Valencia (Spain) and Tunisia

Baghdad Bounedjah – Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) and Algeria

Bassem Morsi – Zamalek (Egypt) and Egypt

Chrisitian Atsu – Bournemouth (England) and Ghana

Dieumerci Mbokani – Norwich City (England) and DR Congo

El Arbi Soudani – Dynamo Zagreb (Croatia) and Algeria

Faouzi Ghoulam – Napoli (Italy) and Algeria

Ferebory Dore – Angers (France) and Congo

Gervinho – Roma (Italy) and Ivory Coast

Ibrahima Traore – B Monchengladbach (Germany) and Guinea

Javier Balboa – Al Faisaly (Saudi Arabia) and Equatorial Guinea

Heldon Ramos – Rio Ave (Portugal) and Cape Verde

Mame Biram Diouf – Stoke City (England) and Senegal

Max Gradel – Bournemouth (England) Ivory Coast

Mehdi Benatia – Bayern Munich (Germany) and Morocco

Mudather El Tahir ‘Careca’ – Al Hilal (Sudan) and Sudan

Mohamed Salah – Roma (Italy) and Egypt

Nicolas Nkoulou – Marseille (France) and Cameroon

P-Emerick Aubameyang – B Dortmund (Germany) and Gabon

Robert Kidiaba – TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and DR Congo

Rudy Gestede – Aston Villa (England) and Benin

Riyad Mahrez – Leicester City (England) and Algeria

Sadio Mane – Southampton (England) and Senegal

Serge Aurier – Paris St Germain (France) and Ivory Coast

Seydou Keita – Roma (Italy) and Mali

Sofiane Feghouli – Valencia (Spain) and Algeria

Stephane Mbia – Trabzonspor (Turkey) and Cameroon

Thievy Bifouma – Granada (Spain) and Congo

Victor Wanyama – Southampton (England) and Kenya

Vincent Aboubakar – Porto (Portugal) and Cameroon

Vincent Enyeama – Lille (France) and Nigeria

Yacine Brahimi – Porto (Portugal) and Algeria

Yannick Bolasie – Crystal Palace (England) and DR Congo

Yasine Chikhaoui – Al Gharafa (Qatar) and Tunisia

Yaya Toure – Manchester City (England) and Ivory Coast

List of players nominated for Caf’s Africa-Based Player of the year award:

Abdeladim Khadrouf – Moghreb Tetouan and Morocco

Abdelmalek Ziaya – Entente Setif and Algeria

Ahmed Akaichi – Etoile du Sahel and Tunisia

A. Carolus – USM Algers (Algeria) and Madagascar

Baghdd Bounedjah – Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) and Algeria

Bakri El Madina – Al Merriekh and Sudan

Bassem Morsi – Zamalek and Egypt

Boris Moubhio – AC Leopards and Congo

Djigui Diarra – Stade Malien and Mali

Felipe Ovono – Orlando Pirates (South Africa) and Eq Guinea

Sylvain Gbohouo – TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Ivory Coast

Hazem Emam – Zamalek and Egypt

Hocine Ragued – Esperance and Tunisia

Kermit Erasmus – Orlando Pirates and South Africa

Malick Evouna – Al Ahly (Egypt) and Gabon

Mbwana Samatta – TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Tanzania

Mohamed Koffi – Zamalek (Egypt) and Burkina Faso

Mohamed Meftah – USM Algers and Algeria

Mudather El Tahir ‘Careca’ – Al Hilal and Sudan

Oupa Manyisa – Orlando Pirates and South Africa

Robert Kidiaba – TP Mazembe and DR Congo

Roger Assale – TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Ivory Coast

Thamsanqa Gabuza – Orlando Pirates and South Africa

Zein Edin Farahat – USM Algers and Algeria-Online.