Ghana's Andre Ayew has been named on the five-man 2011 BBC African Footballer shortlist.
The Olympique Marseille midfielder is joined in the running for the award by Ivorian pair of Yaya Toure and Gervinho, Cameroon's Samuel Eto’O Fils and Mali’s Seydou Keita.
African football fans will decide the winner by voting their choice for the award via text and online before 9 December 2011.
The winner will be announced a week later on 16 December on the BBC’s Sport Today programme.
Ayew, who is one of Ghana’s key players, helped Marseille to win the French League Cup and Super Cup.
The shortlist was determined by a panel of experts across Africawho took into consideration individual skill, technical ability, teamwork, consistency, impact on results and fair play.
“This shortlist reinforces the importance of African footballers to Europe’s top clubs. It will be intriguing to see who triumphs in the end,” the BBC’s African Football blogger Piers Edwards said.
Ghana's Asamoah Gyan is the reigning BBC African Footballer.