Ivory Coast won a home-baked African Cup of Nations trophy on February 11, thanks to Sébastien Haller who almost ended his football career months to the competition.
Indeed, it is a real miracle that the Borussia Dortmund striker was in this Ivory Coast team. In July 2022, Sébastien Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
He is then away from the field for eight months, with very little chance of returning. He had only just joined his new club, Borussia Dortmund.
In February 2023, he beat cancer and returned to the field. It was a sign of the dazzling striker’s rebirth, but he was overtaken at the club by other players who gained the confidence of the coach during his absence.
Despite his short playing time at the club, Sébastien Haller was still called up to the national team by former coach Jean-Louis Gasset. He arrived in the selection with discomfort, which prevented him from playing the first two matches of the group stage.
He regained a starting place during the quarterfinals against Mali, with a new coach, Emerse Fae, who made him the team’s main attacker.
In February 2024, Sébastien Haller qualified his national team for the final of the Africa Cup of Nations by scoring the winning goal against DR Congo.
On February 11, he then gave the third star of African champion by scoring the goal which allowed Ivory Coast to beat Nigeria 2 goals to 1.
He became the symbol of an entire country and did not fail to burst into tears at the end of the competition.
