Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi, who is under investigation for suspected match-fixing, has been denied permission to travel to Canada for his team’s next World Cup match against Germany, the Ivorian Football Federation said on Thursday.
Ivory Coast will play against Germany in Toronto on Saturday.
The federation said Wahi will not be able to travel with the team because “the necessary administrative permits for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage.”
Wahi started in attack for Ivory Coast as they defeated Ecuador 1-0 in their opening match in Philadelphia on Monday. He will remain in the United States pending the team’s return, the federation said.
The French football league said on Wednesday that «an unusually high number of bets» had been placed internationally on Wahi being shown a yellow card in a Ligue 1 match with Nice in May.
The French league was warned by partners monitoring the betting markets about suspicious gambling activity at international level regarding Nice’s home match against Metz on May 17, which ended 0-0, and in which Wahi was shown a yellow card.
The French league said it has passed this information on to the relevant police and gambling authorities, as well as the French Football Federation.
READ ALSO: FIFA World Cup 2026: Fans bow during England-Croatia match
Asked whether Wahi had been questioned by police, the Marseille prosecutor’s office told the Associated Press that «a 23-year-old professional footballer, who participated in the French Ligue 1 championship, was arrested on May 29, 2026 as part of their investigation.»
The agency added that “the investigation concerns alleged crimes of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, receiving stolen goods and money laundering.” The player was interrogated while in police custody and released without being arrested. The office added that the investigation was ongoing.
Wahi’s representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Football Federation of Ivory Coast (FIF) said it has not been officially notified of “any judicial or administrative proceedings” regarding Wahi.
“During this particularly delicate period, the FIF offers its full support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him,” the FIF said. “Elye Wahi remains an important member of the Ivory Coast national team.”
May 17 was the last round of the Ligue 1 season. Less than two weeks later, Wahi helped struggling Nice stay in Ligue 1 when he scored twice in a 4–1 win over Saint-Etienne in the second leg of their promotion-relegation play-off.
Wahi, 23, joined Nice on loan from German club Eintracht Frankfurt in January and scored nine goals in 18 games overall, helping Nice reach the French Cup final.
Published on June 18, 2026
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/crime-scene-tape-interior-061726-320b59a8d16e4bddb4fd25258cc6c341.jpg?w=238&resize=238,178&ssl=1 "Después de drogar a su esposa con limpiador de autos, invitó a hombres a violarla. Una vez que ella despertó")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/crime-scene-tape-interior-061726-320b59a8d16e4bddb4fd25258cc6c341.jpg?w=100&resize=100,75&ssl=1 "Después de drogar a su esposa con limpiador de autos, invitó a hombres a violarla. Una vez que ella despertó")
