GLO CAF Award: Mikel battles Yaya, Drogba

Nigeria’s Mikel Obi will battle Ivorian pair of Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba for the 2013 CAF African Player of the Year Award.

Chelsea midfielder Mikel helped his English club to win the UEFA Europa League in May and also played a big role as Nigeria won a third Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa earlier this year.

It will be the second successive year that Drogba and Toure will make the final three nominees for this award.

Manchester City star Toure won the 2012 edition of the award, while Drogba has won it twice.

The 2013 winner will be announced at a ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 9.

Nigeria have already won two awards after the country’s U17 team, who won a record fourth World Cup in the UAE in November, were picked as the only nominees for National Youth Team and the country’s supporters picked for the Fair Play Award.

The Super Eagles have also been nominated along with Burkina Faso and Ethiopia for the National team of the year, while Nigeria coaches, Stephen Keshi and Manu Garba, are in the race for Coach of the Year along with Paul Put of Burkina Faso.