Sebastien Haller received a festive welcome from his Borussia Dortmund teammates as he returned to training after winning the AFCON with Ivory Coast.
Haller’s incredible late goal gave the hosts a 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the final, marking an incredible turnaround as he was undergoing cancer treatment just 18 months ago.
As he returned to his domestic duties ahead of the Bundesliga clash between Dortmund and Wolfsburg on Saturday afternoon, his teammates were there to celebrate with him on Thursday morning, showering him with orange, white and green confetti to symbolize the flag. from Ivory Coast.
Images of Haller’s return was posted on social mediaand saw the players, led by former Liverpool star Emre Can, quickly surround the 29-year-old striker, showing him the love following his international exploits.
An excited Haller danced with his clubmates, amidst great applause and scenes of celebration, with the players on the ground and on a staircase next to the entrance to their training base in Brackel.
Sebastien Haller received a warm welcome upon his return to Borussia Dortmund
He was harassed by his teammates after scoring Ivory Coast’s winning goal in the AFCON.
But just 18 months ago he was in a hospital bed after being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
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The former West Ham attacker has battled injuries this season, which has limited his role in the German team and forced him to miss the opening AFCON matches as well.
However, Haller proved vital for the Elephants in the knockout stage after recovering, scoring the winning goal in the semi-final against the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a rare volley, before scoring the decisive goal in the final.
It was a particularly unusual tournament for the hosts, who suffered a four-goal rout in the group stage and sacked their coach, before progressing to the latter stages as one of the best third-place finishers.
Haller bravely fought against testicular cancer, which was diagnosed in July 2022, before regaining his place on the field and being a protagonist for club and national team.
He returned to training in January the following year and scored his first competitive goal against Freiburg on February 4, 2023, World Cancer Day.
Haller’s brilliant finish gave Ivory Coast an incredible AFCON home victory over Nigeria.
Haller missed the previous matches due to injury, but returned to help in the knockout phase.
Haller’s Dortmund will face Wolfsburg on Saturday afternoon and PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday evening.
The Ivory Coast striker is one of several players who have overcome a cancer diagnosis to become outstanding footballers on the pitch, including David Brooks, Arjen Robben and Linda Caicedo.
Haller’s Dortmund travel to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, before facing Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League next Tuesday.