Cote d'Ivoire's Sébastien Haller, has withdrawn from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad due to injury, dealing a blow to the Elephants' chances of defending their title, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
The former West Ham United striker picked up the injury while playing for FC Utrecht in the Netherlands.
Haller, who scored the winning goal in Cote d'Ivoire's 2-1 victory over Nigeria in the 2023 AFCON final, has been replaced by Evann Guessand, who plays for Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Guessand was initially named on the reserve list.
The injury is a significant loss for Emerse Fae's squad, as Haller is one of the team's most experienced players.
Cote d'Ivoire will look to regroup and regroup for their AFCON campaign, which begins on December 22 against Guinea-Bissau.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun