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The five-man shortlist for the BBC African Footballer of the Year 2014 has been revealed.

On the morning of 10 November, the BBC will unveil the five names in the running for the 2014 prize. The public will then be able to vote online via the BBC Sport pages and via text.

Brazil captain Thiago Silva called on his team-mates to win the World Cup for injured star Neymar after the forward was ruled out of the tournament.

The 22-year-old scored four goals in five matches before breaking a vertebra in his spine during the quarter-final win against Colombia.

Jermaine Junior Jones, born 3 November 1981, is a German-American footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Turkish club Beşiktaş. He has previously played for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Blackburn Rovers and Schalke 04. He was born in Germany and represented them at U21 and senior level.

Lionel Andrés Messi; born 24 June 1987, is an Argentine footballer who plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He serves as the captain of his country's national football team.

By the age of 21, Messi had received Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2009, he won his first Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. 

He has been named French Player of the Year twice for his performances in 2011 and 2012. Benzema is a former French youth international and has represented his nation from under-17 level onwards. 

Benzema has earned over 65 caps and represented France at three major international tournaments; the 2008 and 2012 editions of the UEFA European Football Championship and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Müller's role can be described as an attacking all-rounder, a player able to play in a variety of forward positions. He can play in any of the attacking midfield roles but usually plays in the center for Bayern Munich, and on the right for Germany.

He has been used as an out-and-out striker on occasion. Müller has been praised for his maturity, pace, technique, awareness and positioning.

Arjen Robben 

Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger. Robben is known for his dribbling skills, speed, crossing ability and his accurate left foot long-range shots from the right wing.

Giovani dos Santos‬ was born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Giovani joined FC Barcelona's academy of La Masia at the age of eleven and played for Barcelona's Juvenil A category where he helped his team to make a comeback in the league and win the regional title. 

This title allowed them to participate in the Youth Copa del Rey, where they faced other regional champions, among them their historic arch-rivals, Real Madrid. 

James Rodríguez expressing his honor to be praised by his hero, 'El Pibe' Valderrama.

"Rodríguez is mentally sharp, possessing quick reactions when closed down which allows him to keep control of the ball and making him more likely to be fouled. While left footed, he's able to control the ball just as well with his right foot." 

(El Pibe' Valderrama)