July 18, 2022 is a date that Sebastien Haller will never forget.
It should have been a normal training day as Borussia Dortmund began their pre-season tour of Switzerland, with Haller joining the squad less than two weeks after joining from Ajax for £31 million.
But that turned out to be anything but the case as the Ivorian striker reported feeling unwell in the morning and after further examination he was diagnosed with a testicular tumor, which was later confirmed to be cancerous just hours later.
Fast forward 18 months, and he is about to play for Ivory Coast against Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
Yet representing his country on the biggest stage in the hours after his devastating diagnosis was unthinkable.
Sébastien Haller is set to play for Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations final this weekend
But just 18 months ago he lay in a hospital bed after being diagnosed with testicular cancer
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Well wishes for the popular striker poured in, with Ajax players holding up their former teammate’s shirt number before beating Red Bull Salzburg in a friendly match the following day.
However, Haller wasn’t kidding himself and knew he was in for a huge battle.
Still, he was determined to stay positive, and later that week he was pictured in hospital giving a thumbs up after starting treatment.
“Just wanted to let you know that step 1 is complete!” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. It was clear that Haller had every intention from the start of fighting his way through the fray.
Just over a month later, Haller appeared at an awards ceremony after finishing the previous season as the Eredivisie’s top scorer with Ajax.
In his acceptance speech, Haller thanked his friends and family for their continued support after starting chemotherapy, admitting, “I’m lucky to have people around me.”
He wiped away tears on an emotional evening as he delivered a powerful message of defiance.
Haller’s former Ajax teammates held up a shirt to show their support following his diagnosis
Haller appeared at an awards ceremony a month after his diagnosis and wiped away tears as he gave an emotional acceptance speech
He thanked his wife Priscilla (right) for her support after starting chemotherapy
After undergoing two operations, speculation increased towards the end of 2022, with Haller linked with a return to football.
Of course not? Is that even possible, just six months after being diagnosed with cancer?
Haller proved so.
He was back on the training pitch in the opening days of January 2023 and immediately wanted to get in shape to get going once the Bundesliga resumed after the winter break later that month.
After finding the net in a few friendlies to show he had not lost his goal-scoring touch, and wearing boots with the message ‘f*** cancer’ on them as a reminder of what he had fought through, Haller was thrown straight. back in the team by manager Edin Terzic.
He scored his first league goal after treatment against Freiburg on February 4, coincidentally World Cancer Day. The stars aligned for Haller, and he was confident he wouldn’t let that stop him.
However, Haller’s triumphant return to the field was only a small part of his story as he admitted he was ‘proud’ of his return, while Rio Ferdinand labeled him a ‘pioneer’ for raising awareness of the need for men to get themselves checked. after his shock diagnosis.
Haller would have been forgiven for taking time to get back up to speed after a six-month absence, but his team were in the middle of a title race with Bayern Munich and needed their striker to stay in touch.
The former West Ham man did just that, producing the right results time and time again as he scored nine goals in nineteen league games.
Haller wore shoes with the message ‘f*** cancer’ on them when he returned to the field last year
Haller scored his first league goal after treatment for Dortmund on World Cancer Day
But Dortmund narrowly missed out on the title, with Haller claiming it hurt worse than being told he had cancer
This included five of the three games leading up to the final game of the season, but Dortmund could only draw 2–2 against Mainz on the final day as they painfully missed out on the title on goal difference against Bayern.
Haller would later claim that missing out on the title was worse than learning he had cancer.
‘It is true. The missed title hurts me more than the cancer diagnosis at the time,” said the 29-year-old.
‘If you’re sick, there’s nothing you can do about it. You have to accept it and move through it. But we had the title in our own hands, we could influence everything ourselves.
‘Then you have to painfully accept that you may have made mistakes or wrong decisions.’
It was a big statement, but one that highlighted his hunger for silverware, and AFCON was his next chance to take home a trophy.
But things haven’t been smooth sailing for Haller over the past 18 months, with an ankle injury preventing him from playing a minute in the group stages.
His tournament could have been over before it even started as Ivory Coast lost two out of three matches but somehow made it through to the knockout stages thanks to being one of the best third-placed teams used to be.
Ivory Coast sacked manager Jean-Louis Gasset at the end of the AFCON group stage despite progressing to the knockout rounds
After sacking its manager Jean-Louis Gasset, Ivory Coast started the last 16 matches against defending champions Senegal as underdogs but upset their chances to triumph on penalties.
Haller came off the bench in the second half to convert his penalty, causing cheering scenes in the crowd as the home side progressed to the quarter-finals.
Then Mali loomed, and Ivory Coast made things difficult for itself again.
Their goalkeeper Yahia Fofana had to make a penalty save in the first half to keep his side level, before defender Odilon Kossounou was sent off shortly before half-time.
When Dorgeles put Nene Mali ahead with twenty minutes to go, Ivory Coast looked to be on their way, but Brighton’s Simon Adingra forced extra time with a final equalizer.
Still a man down, Ivory Coast held firm during extra time, with Haller doing his best to keep the ball high to relieve the pressure. They got their reward when Oumar Diakite fired home a dramatic winner in the 122nd minute.
On to the semi-finals and Haller was finally fit enough to start against DR Congo.
Ivory Coast showed their fighting spirit in the knockout stages, securing a dramatic quarter-final win against Mali despite playing with ten men for most of the match.
Haller struck the winner against DR Congo in the semi-final on Wednesday, and he is now just one win away from AFCON glory on home soil to complete an incredible journey back to the top
In a match full of tension and few clear chances, Haller produced the only moment of quality needed, smashing home Max Gradel’s cross to seal his side’s place in the final.
There couldn’t have been a more popular goalscorer in the tournament considering what Haller has been through.
And now he has the chance to win a major trophy with his country. It would only be fitting if Haller was the difference maker in Sunday’s showpiece.
Haller has been on an incredible journey back to the top over the past 18 months, which will have inspired countless people from all over the world, and is about to get even better.