Wahi denied entry to Canada for Ivory Coast's World Cup clash amid match-fixing investigation

Elye Wahi has been denied entry into Canada for Ivory Coast’s World Cup group-stage match against Germany in Toronto on Saturday, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed on Thursday — one day after it emerged the 23-year-old had been arrested by French police over suspected match-fixing.

The Nice forward is the subject of an active investigation by French authorities into whether he deliberately earned a yellow card during Ligue 1’s final day, when Nice hosted Metz on 17 May in a match that ended 0-0. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) triggered the probe after receiving notifications of suspicious betting patterns linked to Wahi receiving a booking in the 35th minute for a tackle on Metz’s Sadibou Sane — his fifth yellow card of the season, which ruled him out of Nice’s relegation play-off first leg against Saint-Etienne. Wahi had also committed a foul two minutes earlier with a slide tackle on Bouna Sarr.

According to a report by The Athletic, Wahi was arrested by French police on 29 May and released after an interview. He had started Ivory Coast’s 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday night before news of the arrest became public.

In a statement, the FIF said it had “not been officially notified of any judicial or administrative proceedings” involving Wahi, and extended its “full support” to the player while reaffirming its “confidence in him.” The federation confirmed that “the necessary administrative authorisations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage,” meaning Wahi will remain at Ivory Coast’s base in Philadelphia while his teammates travel north.

Wahi is the second player at this World Cup to be refused entry into Canada. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey — who denies allegations of rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom — was similarly barred and missed his side’s 1-0 win against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.

The FIF’s statement read in full: “In this particularly delicate period, the FIF extends all its support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him. Elye Wahi remains an important element of the Ivory Coast national team. Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States pending the team’s return.”