Liverpool have a good chance of winning the league: Yaya Toure
Former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure believes that while the English Premier League season still has a "long way to go", Liverpool have a good chance of lifting the trophy.
The runaway league leaders are aiming to end a 30-year league title drought.
They sit 10 and 11 points clear of Leicester City and Manchester City respectively, and have a game in hand over both teams.
Speaking at a youth football event in Doha, Toure, who was in Qatar to watch the Club World Cup at the invitation of Fifa, said: "Liverpool are great, they are doing very well and they deserve their position at the moment.
"There is a long way to go (in the season). But Liverpool are a good side and they look much stronger than last year.
"I hope (Man City can catch them), but the way I see (it)... their form this year has been quite complicated and there are a few teams who are quite disappointing, like Arsenal and a couple of others.
"Liverpool have the chance to have the honours this year. Liverpool have a good chance."
Toure, 36, spent eight years with City and also told reporters in Doha about his admiration for two fellow African players who are plying their trade in the EPL - City's Riyad Mahrez and Liverpool's Sadio Mane.
On Mahrez, who has enjoyed more playing time this season and scored in a 3-1 win over Leicester City yesterday morning (Singapore time), former Ivory Coast star Toure said: "City are a big club with a squad of good players.
"You need to fight for your place and Mahrez has great quality. He knows what he has to do next year.
"A player like that should be playing (regularly)."
Toure is also a fan of Mane, whom he believes is Africa's best player.
Mane finished fourth in this year's Ballon d'Or, with Lionel Messi taking home the top prize.
Said Toure: "To be honest, he (Mane) deserved to win the Ballon d'Or. In Africa, we don't have a better player than him." - DEEPANRAJ GANESAN
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