YAYA TOURE AWARDED WITH BBC AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR.

Ivory Coast and Manchester United FC of England midfielder, Yaya Toure has won the 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year award.

30-year-old Toure who has been nominated for the award in the past four years beat John Mikel Obi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Victor Moses and Jonathan Pitroipa to this year's crown.

"I think I've been nominated for five years in a row and finally winning the award is amazing," he told BBC Sport.

"I also think African football is improving and that means a lot to us. And as an African, I'm very happy."

The Ivorian, who is also a two-time winner of the Confederation of African Football’s Player of the Year award, is the only African footballer on FIFA's 23-man shortlist for this year’s World Player of the Year Award.