Sebastian Haller, the forward for the Ivory Coast national team and Borussia Dortmund, has successfully inscribed his name in his country's football history. He scored the winning goal that secured the Ivory Coast the Africa Cup of Nations title for the third time, against Nigeria, leading the "Elephants" to a 2-1 victory in the final.
Haller, who battled malignant cancer two years ago, proved to be one of the best African strikers in recent years during the Africa Cup of Nations hosted by his country. Although he missed the first three matches due to injury and went without scoring in the round of 16 and quarter-finals, he returned at the right time, netting a winning goal for his country in a 1-0 semifinal victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo last Wednesday.
In the final match, Haller clinched the title for the Elephants with a goal just nine minutes from the end, granting the Ivory Coast its first victory in the history of its finals in the tournament. Haller faced a shock in July 2022 when he announced his battle with testicular cancer, but he succeeded in overcoming it and returned to football in January 2023, a year before the Africa Cup of Nations.
Haller underwent two surgeries and chemotherapy to receive the green light to return to the pitch on January 2, 2023. Prior to the final match, Haller reflected on the drama he experienced over the past two years due to the disease and reaching glory: "It’s a wonderful and great moment to be here speaking about the final, about the Africa Cup in my country." He continued: "I am happy with what’s happening, but I feel I need several months or perhaps years to truly comprehend what has happened in recent years."
Interestingly, Haller scored the goal that qualified his country for the final against the Democratic Republic of Congo, coinciding with World Cancer Day.
