Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi has been granted permission to travel to Canada for this weekend’s World Cup clash against Germany, despite being at the center of a French betting-fraud investigation.
The Ivorian football federation initially said the 23-year-old would not be able to make the trip, but later issued a revised statement confirming that all necessary travel authorizations had been secured.
The controversy stems from Wahi’s arrest by French police in May as part of an ongoing probe into alleged spot-fixing. The French soccer league revealed that an “unusual amount of bets” had been placed internationally on Wahi receiving a yellow card during a Ligue 1 match on May 17, while he was playing for OGC Nice against Metz—a game that ended scoreless and saw Wahi booked. The league was tipped off by betting-monitoring partners and immediately alerted police, gambling regulators, and the French soccer federation.
The Marseille prosecutor’s office confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation into “organized fraud, organised sports corruption, receiving stolen goods, and money laundering.” Wahi was questioned in custody and later released without being detained. His representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
On the pitch, Wahi has remained active. He started in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on Monday in Philadelphia and is expected to feature against Germany on Saturday in Toronto—the Elephants’ second group-stage match. Wahi joined OGC Nice on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt in January and has scored nine goals in 18 appearances across all competitions, helping Nice reach the French Cup final. He also scored twice in a 4-1 playoff victory over AS Saint-Étienne to secure Nice’s top-flight status.
Despite the legal cloud, the Ivorian football federation has publicly backed the player, stating it has not been formally informed of any judicial or administrative proceedings against him. “Elye Wahi remains an important member of the Ivory Coast national team,” the federation said, adding that it offers him its full support.
Canada’s immigration minister’s office, however, declined to comment on Wahi’s travel clearance, citing privacy and the need for authorisation from the individual involved. With the tournament underway, all eyes will be on whether Wahi takes the field Saturday—and how the ongoing investigation unfolds in the weeks ahead.
