AFCON Hero Sebastien Haller disappointed to miss out on Cote d’Ivoire World Cup squad | OneFootball

Sebastien Haller will not be going to the World Cup. Just two years after he delivered a dramatic winner for the Elephants in the AFCON final, the 31-year-old striker has been left out by Emerse Fae. Speaking to ESPN about the decision, the former West Ham and Borussia Dortmund striker said ‘It is not nice to hear that I haven’t been selected, especially after all the hard work I have put in over the past few months‘.

Haller went on to say ‘But that is life. There is not much you can do about it. What I have done for my country in the past is over. I can only do my absolute best now, and I do that every day‘.

Since the AFCON final, Haller has returned to FC Utrecht who are now in with a fight to earn the final European ticket in the Eredivisie. The 31-year-old was loaned to Utrecht from Borussia Dortmund last season and he scored six goals in 18 games. Utrecht then signed Haller permanently this past summer, with the striker only scoring one goal in 31 games.

Without Haller, Cote d’Ivoire will be facing Ecuador, Germany and World Cup debutants Curacao this summer in Group E.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson