French-born Ivorian footballer Sebastien Haller scored the winning goal against Nigeria to help his country win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in front of their home fans at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan. Haller’s story captured the imagination as he recovered from testicular cancer to make a winning comeback.
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He started his international career with French junior teams before switching his allegiance to the Ivory Coast. Find out more about him below.
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Sebastien Haller’s Early Life
Haller was born in Paris, France to an Ivorian mother and a French father. He grew up alongside his siblings but was highly energetic. His mother enrolled him on martial arts after the country’s success in the discipline but he was more attracted to football.
He got into trouble with his mother for breaking household items because he tended to shoot things as a way of practising his skills. He kept at it until he became good and his parents decided to take him to an academy.
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The Start of His Football Career
The striker joined F.C.O. Vigneux and made an immediate impact, helping the team win a trophy. Not so long after joining, he moved to Bretigny and then to Aj Auxerre youth academy. The footballer showed what he was made of at the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, after which Auxerre bought him.
This was his first football contract, a three-year deal. After, he moved to the Dutch club FC Utrecht, where he was the top scorer in the 2015 season and won the player of the year award.
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Moving to the Bundesliga
After playing 65 games and scoring 30 goals, Haller moved to Germany, signing for Eintracht Frankfurt, where he won his first major trophy, DFB Pokal. In his first season, he scored the goal of the season, a bicycle kick against Stuttgart.
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After an emphatic two seasons that saw him announce his name to the world, the Ivorian moved to the English Premier League side West Ham United. Although he signed a five-year deal that would keep him at the club until 2024, he left in 2021, with his former employer Frankfurt and the Hammers having a contractual dispute.
He signed for the Dutch club Ajax and German club Borussia Dortmund.
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Cancer Diagnosis
A few days after he signed for Dortmund, Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He withdrew from the team to focus on treatment. He underwent two surgeries and four chemotherapy cycles, after which he was cleared to return to full training after recovery.
Eight months after his treatment, he came on as a second-half substitute against Fortuna Düsseldorf. He followed this with a hat trick against Basel. After a series of friendly matches, he made his official debut against FC Freiburg.
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International Career
Sebastien Haller played for France during his junior career. However, at the senior level, he decided to play for Ivory Coast, the country of his mother’s birth. He debuted in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier and has 26 caps so far.
The 29-year-old was part of The Elephants team that won the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on home soil, scoring the winning goal in the 81st minute.
Haller has written his name in African football history. His determination to come back after a cancer diagnosis demonstrates a will to keep fighting.
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