Black Stars pair Asamoah Gyan and Andre Ayew are on the shortlist for the 2010 BBC African Footballer of the year awards.

Joining the Ghanaian duo are Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Toure and Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast.

The winner will be decided by African football fans, who have until 10 December to vote for their choice.

The winner will be announced a week later on 17 December on the BBC's African sports programme Fast Track.

Both Sunderland striker Gyan and Marseille midfielder Ayew starred for Ghana as they reached the finals of the 2010 Nations Cup before making the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time.

And both players will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of former Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffuor and Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien who have all won the award.

Drogba of Chelsea and Ivory Coast is the reigning BBC African Footballer.

Previous winners of BBC African Footballer of the Year award:

2009 - Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast) 2008 - Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahly & Egypt) 2007 - Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal & Togo) 2006 - Michael Essien (Chelsea & Ghana) 2005 - Mohamed Barakat (Al Ahly & Egypt) 2004 - Jay Jay Okocha (Bolton & Nigeria) 2003 - Jay Jay Okocha (Bolton & Nigeria) 2002 - El Hadji Diouf (Liverpool & Ghana) 2001 - Sammy Kuffour (Bayern Munich & Ghana) 2000 - Patrick Mboma (Parma & Cameroon)