Ivory Coast striker Sebastien Haller ruled out of 2025 AFCON

The Ivorian Football Federation confirmed on Friday that Haller will miss the competition after sustaining a hamstring injury while playing for FC Utrecht in the Dutch league on December 14.

The 31-year-old forward, who scored the winning goal in last year's AFCON final as Ivory Coast came from behind to beat Nigeria, had been part of the Elephants' squad preparing to defend their continental crown.

"It is with deep regret that we announce Sebastien Haller will not participate in AFCON 2025," the federation said in their statement, wishing him a swift recovery and reaffirming their support for the striker.

Haller had been a central figure in Ivory Coast's recent success. Despite missing the start of the last AFCON due to an ankle injury, he returned to score decisive goals in both the semi-final and the final, helping his nation lift the trophy in 2023.

In Haller's absence, manager Emerse Fae has called up Aston Villa forward Evann Guessand, who was on the reserve list, to bolster the attacking options for the tournament.

Haller's injury came when he was introduced as a substitute for Utrecht in their Eredivisie match against NAC Breda, but he was forced off the field after less than 15 minutes on the pitch.

Ivory Coast are due to kick off their AFCON campaign against Mozambique in Marrakech on Wednesday and are drawn in a group that also includes Cameroon and Gabon.

The loss of Haller leaves a gap in the Elephants' forward line, but the squad will be hoping Guessand and others can step up as they aim to navigate the group stage without their star striker.

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