Just over a year ago, Sebastien Haller made his comeback after winning his biggest battle against testicular cancer. On the pitch of Abidjans Alassane Ouartara Stadium, playing in the AFCON final, he scored a goal and took his country, Ivory Coast, to a third Nations Cup title.
Although initially trailing the game in the first half, Ivory Coast made a comeback in the final game. After being down a goal in the first half, Franck Kessie equalized in the 62nd minute and Sebastien Haller scored the winner in the 81st minute of the game. His battle against cancer and his return to the field are things that will inspire generations.
Who is Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller?
Sebastien Haller is a 29-year-old striker who currently plays for Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. He was born in France, but he plays for the Ivory Coast National Team as his mother is from Ivory Coast.
Haller started his club career with the French side Auxerre and then moved to the Netherlands in 2015 to play for Ulrecht. After two years, he moved to the Bundesliga and signed for Eintracht Frankfurt, where he won the DFB-Pokal in 2018 and was signed by West Ham United for a club-record transfer of €49.8 million.
The Ivorian attacker didn’t have a great time with the club, due to which he was transferred to Ajax for a €22.5 million deal. This is where Sebastien Haller reached his peak form, where he won the Dutch league Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup in his first six months, scoring 32 goals in 52 appearances for the club. Later in 2022, he was bought by the German side Borussia Dortmund for a €31 million deal.
Cancer-survivor Sebastien Haller wins AFCON championship
On July 18, 2022, he withdrew from the club’s pre-season training after he was diagnosed with a testicular tumor.
Six months later, after returning to the football pitch, Haller was playing in the finals of the Nations Cup. His winning goal was a brilliant flicked finish from Simon Adingra’s cross. Haller also proved to be a match winner in the semifinal win against DR Congo.
After winning the finals, Sebastien Haller couldn’t control his emotions. He said, ” We dreamed of this moment so many times, We hoped to get to this point and once again the match wasn’t an easy one. The joyous scenes we can see now, what’s happening in the country they deserve it too. I really hope it does a lot of people good”.
Haller’s return was not only a boost to the Ivory Coast national team but also to his club, Borussia Dortmund, who are currently 4th in the Bundesliga table.
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