Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi will miss his country’s crucial World Cup clash against Germany after being denied entry into Canada amid an ongoing investigation into alleged match-fixing in France.
The 23-year-old forward, who started Ivory Coast’s 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their opening Group E match, is at the centre of an active investigation linked to suspicious betting activity during a Ligue 1 fixture involving Nice and Metz last month.
French authorities are examining whether Wahi deliberately received a yellow card during Nice’s goalless draw with Metz on May 17 after betting monitors detected unusual wagering patterns on the player being booked.
Wahi was shown a yellow card in the 35th minute following a challenge on Metz defender Sadibou Sane. The booking was his fifth of the Ligue 1 season, triggering a suspension that ruled him out of Nice’s relegation play-off first leg against Saint-Etienne.
After serving that suspension, Wahi returned for the second leg and scored twice in a 4-1 victory that secured Nice’s top-flight status. Later that same day, May 29, he was arrested by French anti-corruption investigators and questioned before being released. No charges have been filed against the player.
A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 footballer had been detained as part of an investigation into alleged organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling proceeds of crime and money laundering. The investigation remains ongoing.
Despite the probe, Wahi was allowed to travel to the United States with Ivory Coast’s World Cup squad and featured in the win over Ecuador, striking the crossbar before being substituted after 55 minutes.
However, his World Cup campaign has now suffered a major setback.
The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed that Wahi has not received the necessary authorisation to enter Canada and will therefore miss Saturday’s match against Germany in Toronto. Instead, he will remain at the team’s base in Philadelphia while the rest of the squad travels north.
In a statement, the FIF stressed that it has not been officially informed of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving the player and reiterated its support for him during what it described as a difficult period. The federation also stated that Wahi remains an important member of the national team.
Wahi becomes the second high-profile World Cup player to encounter immigration issues in Canada during the tournament. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was also denied entry for his country’s opening match against Panama because of ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
The striker only switched his international allegiance from France to Ivory Coast in March after representing the French national team at youth level. Despite the controversy, he remains eligible to play and has not been formally accused of any offence.
With Ivory Coast preparing to face Germany without one of their starting forwards, attention will remain fixed on both the team’s World Cup campaign and the outcome of the investigation that continues to surround Wahi.
