Sébastien Haller
became the
national hero
in
Ivory Coast
last Sunday , after scoring the goal that allowed his team to win the third
Africa Cup
in its history and be an example of life by overcoming testicular cancer that sidelined him. six months of the playing fields.
The Elephants
beat Nigeria 2-1 at the Embipé Olympic Stadium where the Ivorians, hosts of the competition, overcame
Troost-Ekong
's initial goal thanks to goals from
Kessie
and
Haller ,
Borussia Dortmund
striker
, the great protagonist of the night.
Haller, the fighter
"It feels good to have a little reward, to continue believing in what I do and to believe that there is always a purpose
," were Haller's words in the post-match interview, remembering the moment he was diagnosed with cancer and the injury to his ankle that he suffered in December 2023 that put his participation in the tournament in doubt, preventing him from participating in the group stage, in which the Ivorians were on the brink of elimination.
Haller, who had already become a star by scoring the only goal in the semifinals against the Democratic Republic of the Congo that gave them a place in the grand final, was diagnosed, two weeks after signing for the German club in July 2022, with testicular cancer when he was doing preseason in Switzerland.
After two surgeries and chemotherapy to defeat the disease
, the player returned to the playing field just six months later, returning on matchday 16 of the Bundesliga with a 4-3 victory against Augsburg.
Now, in February 2024, a year after his reappearance, Sébastien Haller was the hero of an Ivorian team that managed to win its third trophy, after the successes of 1992 and 2015.
Although this season he has only scored two goals in a match in the round of 32 of the German Cup, against Schott Mainz, from the fourth division, Haller seeks to rediscover his best version to help Borussia Dortmund finish among the top four in the Bundesliga.
EVERYONE WANTED TO CELEBRATE WITH THE LEGEND: Didier Drogba was one of the Ivory Coast's celebrations for winning the African Cup of Nations.
📹 @CAF_Online pic.twitter.com/O3ajIK9zwZ
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) February 12, 2024
A decision that changed his life
Born in the streets of Ris-Orangis, on the outskirts of Paris, the striker began defending the colors of France and went on to play in the U-17 World Cup in 2011 where
Les Bleus
were defeated in the quarterfinals after losing to Mexico 1-2. .
Haller continued defending the colors of the French team where in the Under 21 category he scored thirteen goals in sixteen games, but
a call from the Ivory Coast changed everything
and
he decided to play for the national team of his mother's native country
, where he has become the great figure of the
Elephants
.
A winding road
Quite complex for Ivory Coast, despite having been the hosts of the tournament.
They finished third in their group and reached the decisive rounds through the back door after Mozambique gave them a hand by coming back with two goals in three minutes in their match against Ghana.
By then, the leadership had already made the decision to fire coach Jean-Louis Gasset.
Thus, with Emerse Faé as interim, they eliminated Senegal on penalties and Mali with goals on the hour - in the 90s and 120s - and in the final they turned history against Nigeria.
A tournament of fables that had Haller as the great figure.
Source: EFE