After two surgical procedures and numerous rounds of chemotherapy, Haller returned to full coaching in early January 2023, making his debut later that month earlier than scoring towards Freiburg, in a type of unusual coincidences, on World Most cancers Day itself.
Quick ahead to this January and harm, albeit a lot milder, was once more stopping the previous West Ham and Eintracht Frankfurt ahead from that includes for the Ivorians as they hosted the delayed 2023 Nations Cup.
After damaging his ankle on 19 December, Haller was not match sufficient to make the squad for the Elephants’ first three video games.
However that paved the way in which for his return because the conquering hero given their calamitous group stage, through which they misplaced twice, together with a heaviest ever house – and Nations Cup finals – defeat when dropping 4-0 to Equatorial Guinea.
Ivory Coast sacked coach Jean-Louis Gasset however then squeezed via into the knockout rounds as a greatest third-placed facet.
“After the large defeat towards Equatorial Guinea, we had no selection,” Haller stated.
“We have come again from a great distance. There have been phrases, moments, which weren’t simple for the gamers, workers and all people [but] which have been essential.”
And, after the workforce had scored simply twice within the group stage, the return of Haller was ever extra necessary.
This, in any case, was a person who turned the second participant after Cristiano Ronaldo to attain in all six Champions League group video games in 2021-22 for Dutch facet Ajax, earlier than eclipsing the Portuguese to turned the quickest participant to succeed in 10 Champions League objectives in historical past.