Côte d’Ivoire’s talisman Sébastien Haller has thrown his support behind compatriot Simon Adingra to be crowned African Footballer of the Year at the 2024 CAF Awards on Monday, December 16, in Marrakech, Morocco.
Haller, who scored the decisive goal in the Elephants’ 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in February, is rooting for Adingra despite stiff competition from other standout performers like Ademola Lookman, Achraf Hakimi, Serhou Guirassy, and Ronwen Williams.
The Borussia Dortmund striker reflected on Adingra’s impact during the AFCON, where the Ivorian forward played a key role despite a season interrupted by injuries.
There are no better scripts than Sébastien Haller scoring the winner of the AFCON 2023 final in front of his home fans.
A cult hero in a footballing nation whose face welcomes you to Abidjan on almost all the billboards.
Beat cancer and is now an African champion. Amazing. 👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/nO1MlBSxPu
— Usher Komugisha (@UsherKomugisha) February 11, 2024
“If I have to choose someone, it will be him,” Haller told SportyTV. “I will be more than happy for him He delivered when he came on in the AFCON and went back with the title.”
Haller also acknowledged the achievements of Lookman and Guirassy, noting their exceptional club form. Lookman, who represented Nigeria in the AFCON final, had an impressive tournament with three goals, an assist, and a spot in the official Team of the Tournament. The Atalanta forward further boosted his credentials with a historic hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 Europa League final triumph over Bayer Leverkusen.
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Guirassy, on the other hand, lit up the European stage with his prolific goal-scoring but faced challenges replicating that form with his national team. “Guirassy scored a lot of goals with his European club,” Haller said. “Unfortunately with his country, it was a bit tougher.”
Despite the strong cases for Lookman and Guirassy, Haller emphasized the significance of Adingra’s AFCON success. “He may have had a less brilliant club season compared to the others, but winning the AFCON and contributing to that success is a huge achievement.”
The 2024 CAF Awards will celebrate the finest talents in African football, with the spotlight on the coveted African Player of the Year accolade. The ceremony, set to take place at the iconic Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, will undoubtedly showcase the continent’s best as fans and pundits eagerly await the announcement.
Haller summed up his sentiments with cautious optimism: “Let’s see what they think and what is most important to them. Hopefully, an Ivorian will get the trophy.”
