Mikel, Moses, Yaya Toure Up For BBC Award

Aubameyang, Pitroipa, Mikel, Moses and Yaya

LONDON (AFP) - Victor Moses and John Mikel Obi are among five players shortlisted for 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year Award.

As Yaya Toure has another chance to win his inaugural BBC African Footballer of the Year award after making the shortlist for the fifth straight year.
Also joining the Manchester City and Ivory Coast star among the five nominees for the 2013 edition announced Monday were Nigerians Victor Moses and John Obi Mikel, Burkina Faso’s Jonathan Pitroipa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.

The winner, who will be announced on December 2, will be chosen by a fans’ text and website vote after the shortlist was drawn up by 44 journalists from across Africa.

None of this year’s five contenders have yet won the award, while Pitroipa and Aubameyang are the first nominees from their respective countries.

The 24-year-old Aubameyang ended the 2012/13 season with 19 goals for Saint Etienne, which put him second in the list of top scorers in the French Ligue 1, while he also helped them win the French Cup to claim his first trophy as a professional.

His form then saw him earn a pre-season transfer ahead of the current European campaign to Champions League runners-up Borussia Dortmund, and he has already scored seven goals in 11 games for the German side.

Pitroipa has already won one major award, with the 27-year-old winger named player of the tournament at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa after helping surprise package Burkina Faso reach the final.

Meanwhile Mikel and Moses both starred for Nations Cup winners Nigeria as the Super Eagles lifted the trophy for the first time in 19 years.

The 26-year-old Mikel also won the Europa League with Chelsea, for whom Moses, 22, scored six goals in 2013 before joining English Premier League rivals Liverpool on a season-long loan, where he also scored on his debut for the Merseysiders in September.

However, his tally has been topped in 2013 by midfielder Toure who has 13 goals so far for the calendar year including several superb free-kicks, although his form was not enough to ensure City retained a Premier League title won last season by local rivals Manchester United.

[Source: www.vanguardngr.com]