Why I beat Mikel to Glo-CAF award---Yaya Toure

MANCHESTER CIty player, Yaya Toure has said that his five-star performance in the national team contributed more to his emergence as the 2013 African Player of the Year.
The Ivorian international stunned millions of Nigerians who stayed glued to their television sets on Thursday night to watch the live transmission of the colourful Glo-CAF award held at the Eko Hotels and Suites when he beat Nigerian international John Obi Mikel to the famous award for the third year running
Toure, who expressed surprise while presenting his post victory remark later told a Ghanaian radio station, Citi FM that his victory was largely due to his contributions to the national team of Cote d'Ivoire.
"I think the award was given based on one's work with his national team and we, the contenders were judged based on that.
"A good national team showing is crucial for us. Of course, great club form is also important because it is never easy combing both things. Playing week in, week out at that level for Manchester City is very difficult."
"It has been one year since I won the last Player of the Year award so it is really challenging," said the former player of Beveren of Belgium, Metalurh Donetsk of Ukraine, Olympiacos of Greece, AS Monaco of France and FC Barcelona of Spain.
Toure did not hide the fact that Mikel (Chelsea of England) could have equally been a worthy winner of the prestgious Clo-CAF award.
"To be very honest with you, being touted as the favourite and not winning is really painful. I really feel for Mikel because he also deserved to win it. That said, I will just will just keep working hard and improving myself," he submitted.
Harmonysport.blogspot.com can authoritatively reveal that Toure clinched the award with (373
votes) as a result of Francophone influence as the voting pattern showed that he was preferred to Mikel who finished with 265 votes.
Out of the first 22 countries on the voting list, Mikel only won (10 points) in his country, Nigeria and Sudan while Toure led in all the remaining 20 countries except in Ghana and Congo (Asamoah Gyan), Egypt (Mohammed Aboutreika) and Gabon (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang).Two-time winner Didier Drogba finished third with 236 votes.

Caption: Yaya Toure.
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