Defeated cancer and became an AFCON hero. Haller has made an incredible journey

Yesterday, Borussia Dortmund forward and Ivory Coast national team player, Sebastien Haller, became the author of the winning goal in the African Cup of Nations final against Nigeria (2:1). In the 81st minute of the game, he successfully finished a shot by Simon Adingra.

In the semi-final, Haller also became the hero for his national team, scoring the winning goal in the match against DR Congo (1:0).

What's particularly astonishing is the journey taken by the 29-year-old forward to reach the final. In the summer of 2022, Haller moved from Ajax to Borussia Dortmund, but was unable to start the season with his new team. Doctors diagnosed Sebastien with testicular cancer.

During his matches, Haller plays in boots with the inscription: "F**k cancer."

The footballer underwent several courses of chemotherapy, had surgery, and managed to return to football six months after receiving the diagnosis. In the last season, Haller scored 9 goals and provided 5 assists in 19 matches. However, in the current season, he lost competition for a spot in the starting lineup to Niklas Fullkrug. In 11 Bundesliga matches, Haller has not scored a single goal.

At the end of January, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, Haller wanted to loan to Fulham, but the striker rejected their offer. He decided not to be distracted from his performance at the African Cup of Nations, where he ultimately became a hero.

Interestingly, Haller was born in Paris and played for the French national team at the youth level. Only in 2020 did he decide to play for Ivory Coast, for which he has already scored 10 goals in 25 games.

Before joining Borussia Dortmund and Ajax, Haller played for West Ham, Eintracht, Utrecht, and Auxerre.

It's worth noting that the Ivory Coast national team won the African Cup of Nations for the third time in history.