(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) Algerian international footballer Yacine Brahimi voted by the British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) as the best African Footballer of the Year 2014 on Monday.
"This trophy is going to give me more strength, more desire to work, to get better, to learn so that I can keep having great performances," Brahimi said in a statement.
The 24-year-old midfielder becomes the first Algerian to win the award, which is decided by football fans.
Porto winger Brahimi told BBC Sport: "It's a big honor for me to receive this wonderful trophy. I owe it to my country, Algeria, and to all the people who voted for me.
"It's also a trophy for the whole of Africa, because it rewards an African player. So I am really very happy." After a record number of votes were submitted from fans in 207 FIFA-registered countries, Brahimi came out on top ahead of Nigerian Vincent Enyeama, Gabonese Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Ivorian pair Gervinho and Yaya Toure.
He starred for Algeria at the World Cup in Brazil, helping them reach the last 16 for the first time and scoring his first international goal in the 4-2 win over South Korea in the group stage.
Domestically, Brahimi started the year at Spanish club Granada, where his strong performances led to him being named best African player in the country last season - and earned him a move to Portuguese giants Porto.
He has scored six goals in 15 appearances for his new club and is revelling in the challenge of European Champions League football, where he hit a hat-trick in the club's first group match.
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