Just days before kickoff... CAN at risk of losing a major star! | OneFootball

Sébastien Haller could miss the CAN!

Sébastien Haller / @www.leparisien.fr

With less than a week to go before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Ivory Coast national team could be without one of its key players. Their star striker, Sébastien Haller, is suffering from a muscle injury that could rule him out of the prestigious continental tournament set to take place in Morocco.

The Kingdom of Morocco will host the 35th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, which runs from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026, featuring 24 African national teams.

Sébastien Haller could miss the CAN

Coming off the bench for his Dutch club Utrecht against NAC Breda on Matchday 16 of the Eredivisie, Sébastien Haller was only able to play a few minutes before being forced off in the 80th minute due to a muscle injury.

After the match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, Utrecht head coach Ron Jans offered little reassurance regarding the former Borussia Dortmund striker's condition. He explained that the injury concerns the hamstrings, an area notorious for requiring a relatively long recovery period.

"Things aren't looking good for Sébastien. He still needs to undergo further tests, but he's injured his hamstring," said the Dutch manager.

He then added: "I think he'll be out for a while. I don't think he'll go to the Africa Cup of Nations. It just doesn't make sense. A typical hamstring injury takes around six weeks to heal, and by then the tournament will be almost over. It's really unfortunate for him."