Soccer-Toure shortlisted for African Footballer of the Year title

By Mark Gleeson CAPE TOWN, Jan 1 (Reuters) - Yaya Toure remained on course to be named African Footballer of the Year for a record-equalling third successive time after being named on Wednesday as one of the three finalists for the award to be handed out later this month. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) cut the list of candidates for the 2013 award down from 10, with Toure up against his Ivory Coast teammate Didier Drogba and Chelsea's Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel. A poll of national team coaches from all 54 African countries will decide the winner, who will be named at a gala ceremony in Lagos on Jan. 9. Among those dropped from the list were Mohamed Aboutrika, the veteran Egyptian midfielder who in November steered his club Al Ahli to a fifth Champions League successes inside a decade.



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