Sebastien Haller, 29 years old, became a man of double blessings in less than one year, with the first God’s favour coming last year when he managed to come out from the yoke of cancer, perhaps one of those diseases feared most globally, and the second luck coming on Sunday 11, 2024, where he was a significant player towards the Cote D’Ivoire’s victory.
Sebastien Haller’s football career growth
The born victor has been making tremendous progress in the world of football since his teenage days with his soccer trajectory kicking off under the age of 16 when he featured for France under -16 before graduating to play for the same country under -21, and later leaving his Dad’s country and considering to play for his mother’s country, Ivory Coast in 2020.
However, in July 2022 immediately after signing for the Bundesliga football powerhouse, Borussia Dortmund, Haller’s career was forced to take a hiatus after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer which kept him in bed for some time but his urologist ensured the fears in him stopped.
“Of course, you realist it is something really serious that is happening, that a lot of things can change. But the urologist helped me not be scared. He said I could heal well. I took his words for granted, ” Haller said.
The power of hope and winning mentality took him from this fearful scenario and in the very early days of January 2023 he made a return to full training when featured during the side’s match against Freiburg, a fixture which coincidentally marched World Cancer Day, he netted a goal, a beginning of his luck’s restoration journey.
AFCON 2023 finals
The former West Ham United, Ajax and Eintracht Frankfurt could not get minutes in the very first games in the African Cup of Nations hosted in their country including a shameful defeat against Equatorial Guinea, a game which saw their head coach fired.
“After the big defeat against Equatorial Guinea, we had no choice. We’ve come back from a long way. There were words, moments, which were not easy for the players, staff and everybody but which was necessary,” he said.
Haller has been displaying magnificent shows in every game in the just concluded AFCON 2023 tournament including scoring the only goal against DR Congo.
His positive impact in the squad was largely seen in the finals against Nigeria when he scored a goal in the crucial time, 81′ minutes, a goal which ensured the full-time scores ended 2-1 in favour of the Elephants.
This goal left the hosts, Ivory Coast crowned the Champions of AFCON 2023 and their third title in the Cup’s history.
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