Ivory Coast's Sebastien Haller has shot at Afcon glory one year on from cancer battle

Sebastien Haller is one game away from leading the Ivory Coast to the Africa Cup of Nations title – a little more than a year since returning to the game after treatment for cancer.

Haller fired the host nation into Sunday's final against Nigeria at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium with the only goal of the game in their 1-0 victory over DR Congo in the semi-finals.

The Borussia Dortmund striker has been the face of the tournament in his homeland, but the Congo victory represented his first start. Injury had restricted him to substitute appearances up to that point, with the Ivorians hoping he would come back and make the difference.

So it proved, as his unorthodox volleyed finish saw the Elephants past the Congolese and into the final against the much-fancied Super Eagles.

“It’s kind of a great moment today to be here in front of you speaking about the final, about the Africa Cup in your own country,” Haller said at the pre-match press conference on Saturday. “I’m just enjoying it. I hope that tomorrow I will enjoy as well. But I think I will take a few months or a few years to really realise what’s happened in the last years.”

Haller played in the Ivorian team that went out of the 2019 Cup of Nations in Cameroon in the last 16. At that point he was one of Europe's most in-form strikers following his goalscoring exploits with Amsterdam giants Ajax.

A move to Dortmund followed in July 2022 but he was diagnosed with testicular cancer just days after signing, and many months of treatment ensued, including four bouts of chemotherapy and two operations. His first official game for BVB only came in January 2023.

“Obviously the last one and a half years have been quite challenging for myself, for the family, for everyone,” he