Stronger than a missed penalty that weighs like a boulder and, above all, than cancer. Story of a striker who never gave up
More than a post for social media, an election slogan. Sebastien Haller said it after the bullfight against Mali, in the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations: “Always believe in it”. Even when your back is against the wall, so certain of your elimination that you kicked out the coach after a defeat that couldn’t be more humiliating. Even when, a few days after the transfer that could give a decisive turning point to your career, you are diagnosed with a malignant testicular tumor. Haller and Côte d’Ivoire abandoned the role of mere hosts of the tournament when they decided to send home Senegal, holders of the Cup. Now they look more like soldiers on a mission. Especially Sebastien, who scored on his debut as a starter in this Cup: if you have just dodged the most dangerous iceberg of your life, why be afraid of eleven colleagues in t-shirts and shorts?