A midfield powerhouse, Yaya Toure is the rising star of Ivorian football. The younger brother of Arsenal defender Kolo Toure, the 23-year-old is often compared to French World Cup winner Patrick Vieira because of his ability to combine an aggressive, tough-tackling style with an incisive passing game. Like many of his international colleagues he began his career at ASEC Abidjan's famous youth academy before making an impact in European football with Belgian side Beveren. He joined Ukrainian outfit Metalurg Donetsk in 2004 and then moved on to perennial Greek champions Olympiakos in the summer of 2005. He is a relative newcomer to international football but impressed at the 2006 African Cup of Nations and is sure to start in Germany.