Yaya Toure wins African player of the year for 4th time

Yaya Toure, of the Ivory Coast and Manchester City, makes a speech after receiving the African Player of the Year award, for a record fourth straight time, during the Confederation of African Football (CAF) award ceremony in Lagos, January 8, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

LAGOS, Nigeria - Yaya Toure was named African player of the year for a record-equaling fourth time on Thursday, matching the feat of former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o.

The Ivory Coast and Manchester City midfielder also became the first player to win the award four times in a row.

The announcement came at a ceremony in Lagos.

Toure won the English Premier League and League Cup last year and was named in the league team of the year. Although he had a disappointing World Cup in Brazil, with Ivory Coast knocked out in the group stage, Toure's personal form at City was outstanding.

He became just the second midfielder after Frank Lampard to score 20 goals in a season on his way to his second Premier League title. In late 2014, he also helped secure Ivory Coast a place at the African Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea, which starts next weekend.

Manchester City said on Thursday: "Everyone at the club would like to congratulate Yaya on his fantastic achievement."

The African award is decided by a vote of the coaches or technical directors of the continent's national teams. Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama were the other finalists, with Aubameyang hoping to be the first Gabonese to win and Enyeama the first keeper.

Algeria won team of the year after it established itself as Africa's top-ranked team, reached the second round of the World Cup for the first time, and qualified impressively for the African Cup. Algeria was competing against Libya and Nigeria.

Algeria's 24-year-old midfielder Yacine Brahimi was named the most promising talent.

Kheireddine Madoui was coach of the year after leading Algeria's ES Setif to victory in the African Champions League. Setif won club of the year.