Elye Wahi Denied Entry to Canada Amid Match-fixing Probe

WHO:

Al Jazeera - Elye Wahi, a 23-year-old forward for Ivory Coast, was reportedly arrested last month in a French spot-fixing investigation.

Sportskeeda - Elye Wahi, Ivory Coast striker

BBC - Elye Wahi, 23 years old, Nice forward

BBC - Ligue de Football (LFP), Ivory Coast's football federation (FIF), Marseille public prosecutor's office

WHAT:

CNN - The Ivorian soccer federation announced that Elye Wahi has received authorization to enter Canada for the World Cup match against Germany.

AP - Elye Wahi started in the match against Ecuador, which Ivory Coast won 1-0.

NY Post - Elye Wahi is back in contention to face Germany after a sudden Canada visa reversal amid an ongoing betting investigation.

BBC - The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) stated that they have not been officially notified of any "judicial or administrative proceedings" involving Wahi.

AP - The Marseille prosecutor's office confirmed that Wahi was released after being interviewed in police custody, and the investigations remain ongoing.

BBC - Elye Wahi has been denied entry to Canada for the Ivory Coast's World Cup group game against Germany on Saturday.

AP - The Ivorian soccer federation confirmed that Wahi will not be able to travel with the squad because “the necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage.”

AP - Wahi started in attack for Ivory Coast when it beat Ecuador 1-0 in its opening game in Philadelphia on Monday.

Sportskeeda - Elye Wahi has been denied entry into Canada for the FIFA World Cup.

BBC - Wahi was reportedly arrested last month over alleged involvement in spot-fixing in Ligue 1.

BBC - Wahi has been accused of deliberately earning a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in May.

BBC - The LFP confirmed they had been alerted to "an unusually high volume of bets placed on a warning involving the player Elye Wahi."

BBC - Wahi will remain in the United States pending the team's return after being unable to obtain authorization to enter Canada.

WHERE:

Sportskeeda - Canada

BBC - Marseille, France; Nice, France; Toronto, Canada; Philadelphia, United States

WHEN:

AP - The Ivory Coast is scheduled to face Germany on Saturday in Toronto.

BBC - Wahi's yellow card incident occurred in May.

BBC - The Ivory Coast is scheduled to play Curacao in Philadelphia next Thursday.

BBC - Wahi's booking in the game was his fifth in the league, leading to a suspension for the first leg of Nice's relegation play-off against Saint-Etienne on 26 May.

WHY:

BBC - The investigation into Wahi involves allegations of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling stolen goods, and money laundering.

BBC - The investigation concerns allegations of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime, and money laundering.

BBC - The investigation is into allegations of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime, and money laundering.

HOW:

AP - The French soccer league reported that an "unusual amount of bets" were placed on Wahi receiving a yellow card during a Ligue 1 match against Metz on May 17, which ended in a 0-0 draw.

AP - The French league (LFP) reported that an "unusual amount of bets" were placed internationally on Wahi receiving a yellow card during a Ligue 1 game with Nice on May 17, which ended 0-0.

AP - The Marseille prosecutor’s office stated that a 23-year-old professional football player was arrested on May 29, 2026, as part of their investigation.

BBC - Wahi was arrested as part of an investigation opened by the Marseille public prosecutor's office.

BBC - The LFP stated they will not make further comments due to ongoing investigations and confidentiality requirements imposed by police authorities.

Elye Wahi has received authorization to enter Canada for the upcoming World Cup match against Germany, according to the Ivorian soccer federation. He recently started in a match against Ecuador, leading Ivory Coast to a narrow victory of one to zero. However, Wahi is currently under investigation for serious allegations, including organized fraud and sports corruption, following an unusual betting pattern observed during a Ligue 1 match against Metz.