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It was the fifth straight year the Manchester City star had made the shortlist but the first time he’d taken the award.

“Thank you to all the fans around the world who continue to support me and who love me a lot,” said Toure in a BBC statement. “I’m very proud, I’m very happy, this award is amazing.

“It’s the fifth time in a row (being nominated) and this time is very special.”

Toure, who has scored 13 goals for club and country this year, was the choice of the BBC’s global audience.

He held off competition from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon and Borussia Dortmund), Victor Moses (Nigeria and Liverpool, on loan from Chelsea), John Obi Mikel (Nigeria and Chelsea), and Jonathan Pitroipa (Burkina Faso and Rennes).

Toure was presented with the award at Manchester City’s Carrington training ground on Monday.

“We are pleased for Yaya Toure that he has finally won the BBC African Footballer of the Year on his fifth nomination for the award,” said BBC Africa’s current affairs editor Vera Kwakofi.

“This shows the high esteem in which he is held by lovers of African football and the respect the fans have for his exploits for club and country.”

Toure now has the chance to complete an awards double having been selected among a 25-man shortlist for the African Football Confederation (CAF) African Footballer of the Year for 2013.

In contrast to the BBC award, Toure has won the CAF equivalent in each of the last two years and winning it for a third consecutive year would see him match the achievement of Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, winner in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

The winner of the latest edition is due to be announced at a ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria, on January 9.

The Indian batsman was appointed UNICEFs ambassador for South Asia, helping promote sanitation in a country where more than half of the 1.2 billion population defecate in the open.

Tendulkar told a packed press conference it was a "second innings for him", adding: "This innings is important and dear to me, so I will do my best here." Karin Hulshof, regional director of UNICEF, the UN children’s fund, said 681 million people lack toilets in South Asia. In India, 53 percent of the population or about 640 million people lack toilets and defecate in the open, the country’s 2011 census data showed. "Another statistic which baffles me and I was disheartened to know that 1,600 children die everyday worldwide because of diarrhea infected diseases," Tendulkar said.

Recounting childhood memories, Tendulkar said: "I would play cricket downstairs with my friends, with a tennis ball, and occasionally did not bother washing my hands and (would) want to eat after coming back home." "My mother made sure that I washed my hands properly and ate with clean hands," he said, stressing the need for personal hygiene.

Tendulkar, the worlds leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, made a tearful final departure from the sport earlier this month after his 200th Test match, ending a glittering career spanning 24 years.

Tendulkar, a member of parliament, has been involved in several social causes in India relating to health care and education.

He has endorsed everything from BMW cars to energy drinks and biscuits to travel portals, but has not promoted tobacco and liquor-related products.

Tendulkar has yet to disclose his professional plans post-retirement. (AFP)

Test squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kolhi, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Ambati Rayudu, Wriddhiman Saha, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha.

One-day squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ambati Rayudu, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra.

AFP