Mikel, Moses, Toure shortlisted for BBC African Footballer Of The Year

The five candidates for the 2013 BBC African Footballer of the Year award have been revealed on the BBC's Newsday programme.

Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure has made the shortlist for the fifth consecutive year and is joined by Nigerians Victor Moses and John Mikel Obi, Burkina Faso's Jonathan Pitroipa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.

The winner will be decided by African football fans, who have until 18:00 GMT on 25 November to vote for their choice.

 The winner will be announced on Monday, 2 December at 17:35 GMT on the BBC's Focus on Africa radio and television programmes.

No player on this year's shortlist, drawn up from votes by 44 journalists across Africa, has won the BBC award before and two - Pitroipa and Aubameyang - are the first nominees from their respective countries.

Mikel and Moses on the list fared even better in this year's Nations Cup both heavily involved as Nigeria lifted the trophy for the first time in 19 years.

Mikel, 26, also won the Europa League with Chelsea, while 2013 was the year he finally scored a goal for the Blues, that coming in his 185th game.

Goals have flowed more readily for 22-year-old Moses, the winger hit six for Chelsea in 2013 before he moved on a season-long loan to Liverpool, where he scored on his debut in September.

Yet the most potent of the three English Premier League players on the list is midfielder Toure. The Ivorian, 30, has bagged 12 goals so far in 2013 - including some exquisite free-kicks.

Although he and his Manchester City team-mates were unable to retain their league title last season, Toure was still a force to be reckoned with in the centre of the park - commanding, creative and increasingly clinical in front of goal.