Veteran Ghanaian coach EK Afranie has cast doubt about the chances of Ghana ace Andre Ayew winning the 2015 CAF Footballer of the year award.

Ayew was named in a three man shortlist released by the Confederation of African football to vie for the top award. Ayew faces stiff competition from Ivorian and Manchester City star Yaya Toure who was named the BBC African Footballer of the year as well as in-form Gabonese and Brussia Dortmund attacker Pierre Emerick-Aubameyung.

Afranie who is best celebrated after guiding the Black Satellites to the 2001 FIFA U20 World Cup finals is skeptical about Ayew’s chance of clinching the award.

“It will be very tough, I think he (Andre Ayew) has done well this season by I thing the Ivorian guy Toure will be a big threat,” he spoke to Accra-based Atinka FM.

“You know he (Yaya Toure) won the Cup of Nations with Ivorian Coast which gives him a big advantage and he recently won the BBC African footballer of the year.”

“In as much as every Ghanaian will be hoping for Ayew to win, we must also consider his competitors who I think are all good, so I personally think it will be tough. But it is likely Yaya Toure will win it again.”

Toure will go down to be the record holder of the African footballer of the year award should he win it for the fifth consecutive time.

Ayew who has been outstanding for Swansea City this season finished third in the 2011 edition of the awards.

The 2015 Glo Caf awards gala comes off on January 7 in Abuja, Nigeria.