The United States and Canadian immigration authorities have denied entry to Ivory Coast international football player Elye Wahi for his country`s upcoming World Cup group stage match against Germany in Toronto on Saturday, according to Reuters and BBC News. The 23-year-old Nice forward was reportedly arrested last month in France over his alleged involvement in an organized sports corruption and spot-fixing scheme within Ligue 1. Wahi had previously started in Sunday`s opening World Cup victory against Ecuador, which concluded with a narrow one to zero win for the West African nation. Spot-fixing involves the illegal practice of deliberately creating specific match incidents to allow syndicated individuals to profit heavily through illicit betting markets.
A formal statement released by the public prosecutor`s office in Marseille to The Athletic confirmed that a 23-year-old professional football player competing in France`s top tier was taken into police custody on May 29. Although the official release did not explicitly name Wahi, the Ligue de Football Professionnel confirmed they had flagged an unusually high volume of online bets placed on a specific warning involving him. The ongoing investigation is closely examining a match played on May 17 against Metz, during which Wahi received his fifth yellow card of the season in the 35th minute for a late tackle. This strategic booking resulted in an automatic suspension for the first leg of his club`s subsequent relegation playoff.
The Ivorian Football Federation announced that it had not received any official notification regarding administrative or judicial proceedings against the prominent forward from French authorities. However, the federation confirmed that the necessary travel authorizations required for the player to enter Canadian territory could not be secured at this stage of the tournament. In an official press release, the sports governing body extended its full institutional support to Wahi, reaffirming that he remains a vital element of the national team squad. Consequently, the striker will remain in the United States while the rest of the delegation travels north to fulfill their fixture against Germany.
What remains unclear is the long-term trajectory of the young player`s international career once the French anti-corruption police conclude their extensive investigations. The Marseille public prosecutor`s office stated that the case involves serious allegations of organized fraud, sports corruption, and money laundering. Following a brief period of interrogation in police custody, Wahi was released without formal charges, enabling him to return for the second leg of the playoff where he scored two goals in a four to one victory over Saint-Etienne to keep Nice in the top flight. The domestic football league stated they are withholding disciplinary action for now out of respect for police confidentiality but reserve the right to act later.
Wahi is the second high-profile World Cup athlete to be barred from entering Canada during this tournament, following Ghana`s veteran midfielder Thomas Partey who was refused a visa due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom. The former Arsenal player has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four separate women and is scheduled to stand trial next year. Partey had initially misinformed immigration officials by claiming he had never been arrested, leading to an unsuccessful federal court appeal by the Ghanaian government in Ottawa. Following the Toronto clash, the Ivorian national team is scheduled to play Curacao in Philadelphia next Thursday.
