For the second year running, Yaya Toure has scooped the African Footballer of the Year Award for 2012. To win, the Ivorien International garnered more votes than fellow country-man Didier Dogba and Cameroun’s Alex Song who finished second and third respectively. Only Senegalese El Hadj Diouf and the Cameroonian Samuel Eto’o can boast of achieving this this feat.
Born on the 13th of May 1983, This man is certainly not new to winning big in world football. He won the Cote D’Ivoire Premier Division title in 2001 with Asec Mimosa. While with Olympiacos in Greece, he won the 2005-2006 Super League as well as the Greek Cup.
The all-conquering Barcelona was his next port of call. Between 2007 to 2010, he won two La Liga titles (2008 – 09 & 2009 – 10), 2008 -09 Copa Del Rey title: ,2009 Spanish Cup, 2008 – 09 UEFA Champions League, 2009 UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup. In 2010, He continued his winning ways when He joined Manchester City by leading the side to the 2011-12 Premier League title, 2010-11 FA Cup title and the 2012 Community Shield.
In the whole of the English Premier League (EPL), he is ranked 2nd in average passes per game and 3rd in pass percentage among midfielders in the 2011/2012 season. With 6 points behind the league leaders Manchester United, Yaya Toure is pivotal to the strong push by Manchester City to catch up with Manchester United and do the double over their fierce rivals. This ambition will suffer a huge blow in January 2013 when Yaya will be away with Cote D’Ivoire at the 2013 African Cup of Nations holding at South Africa. His Team mate, Jack Rodwell must have been thinking about Man City’s chances in January when He said “Yaya would be a big loss for us. He’s been amazing so far and has been the engine in midfield, so he would be missed.”
Yaya Toure’s success is not a fluke, neither is it attributed to luck. His last line in his interview with Cafonline says it all, “I adore football and it is my life. I think that I will continue playing till the end of my days. God willing”
You just got to love what you do. If you don’t, start searching for what you love. Don’t delay.
Copy Genius.
