Cameroon midfielder Alex Song has retired from international football after his exclusion from his country's Africa Cup of Nations squad.

Alex Song left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2012, but he failed to nail down a first-team place at Camp Nou and made only 39 appearances over the past two seasons.

The North London club have sold Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri over the past few years, and have failed to recruit any notable world-class talents.

Ivorian Yaya Toure of Manchester City won Africa's top football honour on Thursday, beating out his countryman Didier Drogba and Alexandre Song of Cameroon for the CAF player of the year award.

Ayegbeni Yakubu hit two goals on his debut as Blackburn twice came from behind to beat Arsenal 4-3 on Saturday and claim its first win of the Premier League season.