Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller earned national hero status in Ivory Coast after securing their third AFCON title with a late goal against Nigeria in the final on February 12.
Nigeria surprised everyone by taking an unexpected lead against the hosts, with skipper William Troost-Ekong scoring a powerful header in the 38th minute, giving his side a crucial advantage at halftime. However, the Elephants maintained their composure despite falling behind, led by a defensive masterclass from Calvin Bassey in the early stages of the second half.
Also Read: Ivory Coast clinches AFCON title with a last-minute goal from Sebastien Haller
Ivory Coast staged a remarkable comeback with Franck Kessie's header from a Simon Adingra corner, igniting wild celebrations among the home crowd. The decisive moment arrived in the last nine minutes of the match when Haller capitalised on another Adingra cross, securing victory which they maintained until the final whistle.
HALLER'S COMEBACK STORY
Even before the Elephants stepped onto the field on Monday, Sebastien Haller was the centre of attention. Football fans worldwide were hoping for success for the player who returned to the sport just a year after being diagnosed with Testicular cancer in 2022.
2022: Haller joins Borussia Dortmund from Ajax
Following two highly successful stints with Dutch club Ajax, where he clinched two Eredivisie titles and emerged as the top goal scorer in the UEFA Champions League for his team, Sebastien Haller was signed by German club Borussia Dortmund. He was enlisted as a replacement for their star striker Erling Haaland, who had recently transferred to Manchester City.
This move was widely regarded as a crucial moment in his career, particularly because of his outstanding goal-scoring record, which positioned him among the elite on the Champions League record board alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Robert Lewandowski.
JULY 2022: Cancer diagnosis
Just two weeks into his time in Germany, while attending Dortmund's pre-season training camp in Switzerland, Haller expressed abdominal discomfort to the team doctors. Subsequently, he was referred to a urologist for further evaluation. To everyone's shock, the diagnosis revealed a testicular tumour in Haller, marking the start of his challenging road to recovery.
The 29-year-old underwent surgery to remove his cancerous testicle entirely, followed by chemotherapy. Over the next two months, Haller dedicated much of his time to hospital visits, aspiring to regain his fitness and dreaming of returning to the football field.
January 2023: Back on the field
Declared fit only in December 2022, Haller, who had been training rigorously, joined his Dortmund teammates for their pre-season camp in Spain.
On January 10, 2023, Haller returned to the football field for a friendly match between Dortmund and Fortuna Dusseldorf. Having triumphed over his toughest challenge, the player's comeback was greeted with applause from both his teammates and opponents, as well as the spectators at Marbella's Dama de Noche football center.
February 2024: Glory
During this time, Haller effectively transformed his journey into an inspiration for countless individuals facing their own challenges, regardless of their geographical location.
Haller's goal in the 81st minute of the AFCON final against a formidable Nigeria symbolised the convergence of two comeback narratives. One was his personal journey, while the other was the journey of his national team, which initially seemed unlikely to progress beyond the group stages of AFCON 2023.
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