World Cup: Ivory Coast’s Elye Wahi denied entry to Canada amid on-site investigation

Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahim has been denied permission to travel to Canada for Saturday’s crucial World Cup Group E match against Germany. The bombshell development, confirmed by the Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) on Thursday, comes less than 24 hours after it was revealed that the striker is under active investigation in France over alleged spot-fixing.

The Elephants are set to face Germany at BMO Field in Toronto, but Wahi will remain at the team’s tournament headquarters in Philadelphia. FIF said the 23-year-old OGC Nice striker was omitted from the traveling contingent because “it was not possible at this stage to obtain the necessary administrative clearances for his entry into Canadian territory”.

The legal storm surrounding Wahi erupted after a report by The Athletic revealed that the attacker had been arrested by French anti-corruption police on May 29. The public prosecutor’s office in Marseille has since confirmed that the investigation remains open for the crimes of “organized fraud, organized sports corruption, receiving stolen goods and money laundering”.

The core of the investigation centers on the French Ligue 1 home match between Nice and FC Metz on May 17. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) reported the match to judicial authorities after partners monitoring global gambling markets revealed an “unusual number of bets” placed specifically on Wahi to receive a yellow card.

During the match, Wahi was cautioned in the 35th minute after a late challenge. Crucially, the booking was his fifth of the domestic season, automatically triggering a one-match ban for Nice’s first leg of their relegation play-off against Saint-tienne. Although Wahi was questioned in police custody and subsequently released without charge, French authorities stress that their investigation is still ongoing.

MAJOR IMPACT ON THE IVORY COAST

The timing of the travel ban has dealt a heavy blow to Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign. Despite his legal entanglements in Europe, Wahim was allowed to travel to the United States for the opening rounds of the tournament. He started up front and played 56 minutes on Sunday night to help his country secure a a vital 1-0 opening win over Ecuador in Philadelphia.

The Ivorian federation has decided to publicly defend its player, saying it has not received any formal notification of a judicial investigation.

In an official statement, FIF said: “During this particularly delicate period, FIF gives the player all its support and reaffirms its confidence in him. Elye Wahi remains an important element of the Ivory Coast national team.”

Wahi is the second high-profile player to be banned from crossing the border into Canada this World Cup cycle. Earlier this week Ghana’s Thomas Partey was similarly denied entry by Canadian immigration authorities before preparing his country in Toronto.

With the clash with Germany expected to decide who will dominate Group E, Ivory Coast head coach Emerse Fae must now quickly reshuffle his attacking options in the enforced absence of his star striker.

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Issued by:

Akshay Ramesh

Published on:

18 Jun 2026 18:36 IST