Yaya Toure claims hat-trick of African awards

Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure has been named the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Footballer of the Year.

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

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

Toure, 30, emulates Abedi Pele and Samuel Eto'o with a hat-trick of wins.
Recent Caf Player of the Year winners

    2013 Yaya Toure
    2012 Yaya Toure
    2011 Yaya Toure
    2010 Samuel Eto'o
    2009 Didier Drogba
    2008 Emmanuel Adebayor
    2007 Frederic Kanoute
    2006 Didier Drogba

Ghanaian Abedi Pele won three in a row between 1991-93 while Cameroonian Eto'o took the award from 2003-05.

Toure 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.

He was honoured at a ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, on Thursday.

Toure's form also 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 for the Caf award was 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.