Ivory Coast will begin their Africa Cup of Nations title defence without Sébastien Haller after the striker was officially ruled out of the 2025 tournament in Morocco due to injury.
The Ivorian Federation of Football confirmed on Friday that the 31 year old forward will not be available for selection after suffering a hamstring injury earlier this month.
Haller sustained the injury on December 14 while playing for Dutch side Utrecht in their league match against NAC Breda. Medical assessments have since determined that he will not recover in time for the continental showpiece.
Aston Villa forward Evann Guessand has been named as Haller’s replacement in the final squad.
The absence of Haller represents a major setback for Ivory Coast, given his pivotal role in their AFCON triumph at the last edition. Despite missing the opening stages of the 2023 tournament through injury, Haller returned to score decisive goals in the semifinal against Congo and the final against Nigeria.
His performances capped an extraordinary comeback story, coming just a year after his return from cancer treatment, and he was widely celebrated as the symbol of Ivory Coast’s dramatic resurgence after they narrowly avoided elimination during the group stage.
Ivory Coast will open their AFCON 2025 campaign against Mozambique on Wednesday December 24 as they look to defend their continental crown without their talismanic striker.
