Ivory Coast is preparing to organize CAN 2023 from January 13 to February 11, 2024. But a few days before the start of CAF’s most prestigious competition, the Elephants are facing the injury of Sébastien Haller , starting attacker. The Borussia Dortmund scorer is uncertain for the tournament and a controversy erupts before the publication of the official list of Jean Louis Gasset, national coach.
During the clash between Borussia Dortmund and Mainz last Tuesday, Sébastien Haller, who had barely entered the game during the 16th day of the Bundesliga, was injured a few minutes later . The Ivorian international (29 years old, 21 caps for 10 goals) was hit on the ankle after a rather dangerous tackle in the 86th minute, forcing him to give up his place during this match which ended in a 1-1 draw. This news panicked the whole of Ivory Coast which counts a lot as the giant attacker of Borussia Dortmund.
Haller provides guarantee to Jean Louis Gasset, national coach of Ivory Coast who does not have a profile identical to that of the former Hammer. At Borussia Dortmund and the Ivorian Football Federation, room for caution and neither party has released an official statement on Sébastien Haller’s injury. The lack of information on the physical condition of the attacker fuels rumors in Ivory Coast and makes Elephants fans believe that the Ivorian attacker could be fit for CAN 2023.
Haller injury, controversy sets in 3 weeks before CAN 2023
Ivory Coast, which welcomes the rest of Africa for CAN 2023, is panicking a few days before the start of the competition. CAF recently unveiled Jean Louis Gasset’s list of preselected candidates for CAN 2023, which includes Borussia Dortmund striker Sébastien Haller.
Also read:CAN 2023: Jean Evrard Kouassi withdraws from Ivory Coast
Injured at club last Tuesday, the Ivorian striker reportedly admitted to Jean Louis Gasset, national coach of Côte d’Ivoire and to Idriss Diallo, President of the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF), according to Afrik-foot, that he actually had 45 days to fully recover from his injury .
Which means that Sébastien Haller should be operational in mid-February and that he would indeed be out of CAN 2023 (scheduled for January 13 to February 11). But according to the media, the coach and the President of the FIF would have decided to “stifle” the bomb in order to avoid more panic in the ranks of the Gasset team and within the Ivorian sports public which is already holding back his breath.
Sébastien Haller already in Abidjan…
While awaiting the formalization of his package for CAN 2023, Sébastien Haller left Germany to return to Ivory Coast for treatment and also to have his injury confirmed. The Ivorian Football Federation FIF even provided him with a physiotherapist to help him recover better before the competition.
But despite all these efforts, Sébastien Haller should be withdrawn from CAN 2023 at home, having had a rather mixed African Cup of Nations with the Elephants in Cameroon two years ago.
Without Sébastien Haller, Ivory Coast does not have a very great center forward, a surface player on whom unbalanced wingers like Wilfried Zaha, Simon Adingra, Gradel, Nicolas Pépé can rely, among others. Jean Louis Gasset should undoubtedly review his plans and opt for the young nugget Karim Konaté who is having a fairly good season at RB Salzburg.
The Ivory Coast Elephants are housed in Group A alongside Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea Bissau. Their goal is to try to win CAN 2023 in front of their home crowd. The first time that Ivory Coast organized this competition, it was Roger Milla’s Cameroon who won the final in 1982.
