Borussia Dortmund’s Haller seals AFCON final win with goal against Nigeria after cancer return

Ivory Coast wins AFCON over Nigeria due to Sebastein Haller's comeback goal.

February 12, 2024

Sebastein Haller Wins Afcon For Ivory Coast — SIA KAMBOU/AFP via Getty Images

The Super Eagles seized the lead against the flow of the game when William Troost-Ekong soared above Serge Aurier and directed a header into the top corner in the 38th minute. Despite the tournament hosts’ tenacity, a crucial goal-line block from Calvin Bassey denied Max Gradel an equalizer just after halftime.

However, the Elephants’ persistence paid off as Franck Kessie nodded in Simon Adingra’s corner to ignite wild celebrations among the home crowd shortly after the hour mark.

Ivory Coast asserted control as the game progressed and clinched a deserved lead nine minutes before the final whistle, courtesy of a delicate flick from Borussia Dortmund striker Haller, who battled through two surgeries and chemotherapy following his testicular cancer diagnosis in 2022, to convert Adingra’s precise cross.

Despite a late push from Nigeria, the Ivorians, who replaced manager Jean-Louis Gasset with Emerse Fae after suffering a 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in the group stage last month, held firm to complete an astonishing comeback at a fervent Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

While Kessie and Haller secured pivotal goals for Ivory Coast, Brighton winger Adingra remained a consistent threat throughout, contributing two impressive assists. Nigeria struggled to contain the 22-year-old’s speed and skill, evident in his standout performance.

On the contrary, Victor Osimhen, the Nigerian and Napoli striker, had a subdued outing against the Ivorians, who effectively neutralized the prolific forward for much of the match. Osimhen had few opportunities as Nigeria fell short, concluding the tournament with just one goal from seven appearances.

Looking ahead, the next edition of AFCON is slated to be held in Morocco in the summer of 2025, following the decision to reassign the hosting rights from Guinea due to the Confederation of African Football’s assessment of the country’s readiness to host the competition.