Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey has been nominated for the prestigious BBC African Best Player Award.

The Atlético Madrid star is in stiff competition with four other top players to grab the 2009 BBC African Footballer of the Year Award.

Partey deservedly earned his spot after an outstanding year, helping Atletico Madrid to Europa Cup glory and finishing the season as runners up in the La Liga. He played over 50 games for the Spanish giants last season.

The other nominees are Medhi Benatia (Morocco), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal), Sadio Mane (Senegal) and Mohamed Salah (Egypt).

The vote opened on Saturday, 17 November at 19:00 GMT and closes on Sunday, 2 December at 20:00.

The result will be revealed in a programme on BBC World News on Friday, 14 December at 17:30.

The shortlist has been compiled by a panel of African football experts.