The Confederation of African Football has revealed an initial list of 34 players for the prestigious award that Yaya currently holds having won it last year.
Ivory Coast star Yaya is one of ten Premier League players to be nominated, with Newcastle trio Demba Ba, Cheick Tiote and Papiss Cisse also included.
The list will be shortened to just ten by late October and the winner will be announced at a ceremony on 20 December in Ghana.
The full list of nominees for African Player of the Year are:
1. Abdelaziz Barrada - Getafe (Spain) and Morocco
2. Adel Taarabt - Queens Park Rangers (England) and Morocco
3. Alain Sibiri Traore - Lorient (France) and Burkina Faso
4. Alexander Song - Barcelona (Spain) and Cameroon
5. Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew - Marseille (France) and Ghana
6. Arouna Kone - Wigan (England) and Ivory Coast
7. Aymen Abdennour - Toulouse (France) and Tunisia
8. Bakaye Traore - AC Milan (Italy) and Mali
9. Cheick Tiote - Newcastle United (England) and Ivory Coast
10 .Christopher Katongo - Henan Construction (China) and Zambia
11. Demba Ba - Newcastle United (England) and Senegal
12. Didier Drogba - Shanghai Shenhua (China) and Ivory Coast
13. Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu - Udinese (Italy) and Ghana
14. Emmanuel Mayuka - Southampton (England) and Zambia
15. Foxi Kethevoama - FC Astana (Kazakhstan) and Central African Republic
16. Gervinho - Arsenal (England) and Ivory Coast
17. Hilaire Momi - Le Mans (France) and Central African Republic
18. John Obi Mikel - Chelsea (England) and Nigeria
19. John Utaka - Montpellier (France) and Nigeria
20. Kwadwo Asamoah - Juventus (Italy) and Ghana
21. Moussa Sow - Fenerbahce (Turkey) and Senegal
22. Nicolas N’koulou - Marseille (France) and Cameroon
23. Papiss Demba Cisse - Newcastle United (England) and Senegal
24. Pape Moussa Konate - FC Krasnodar (Russia) and Senegal
25. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - St Etienne (France) and Gabon
26. Rainford Kalaba - TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Zambia
27. Seydou Doumbia - CSKA Moscow (Russia) and Ivory Coast
28. Seydou Keita - Dalian Aerbin (China) and Mali
29. Sofiane Feghouli - Valencia (Spain) and Algeria
30. Stoppila Sunzu - TP Mazembe (DR Congo) and Zambia
31 .Victor Moses - Chelsea (England) and Nigeria
32. Yaya Toure - Manchester City (England) and Ivory Coast
33. Younes Belhanda - Montpellier (France) and Morocco
34. Youssef Msakni - Esperance (Tunisia) and Tunisia
