Elye Wahi denied entry to Canada ahead of Ivory Coast’s World Cup clash with Germany | OneFootball

Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi has been denied entry to Canada ahead of his country’s second World Cup group-stage match against Germany.

The 23-year-old will miss Saturday’s fixture in Toronto after failing to obtain the administrative authorisations required to enter Canadian territory.

The development comes just days after Wahi featured in Ivory Coast’s opening World Cup victory over Ecuador in the United States.

The forward started the match in Philadelphia and played an important role before being substituted during the second half.

However, he will now remain in the United States while the rest of the Ivory Coast squad travels to Canada for their next Group E encounter.

The Ivory Coast Football Federation confirmed the situation in an official statement on Thursday.

The federation stressed that it has not received any formal notification of judicial or administrative proceedings involving the player and reiterated its support for him.

“Elye Wahi remains an important part of the national team of Ivory Coast,” the statement read.

The federation also confirmed that Wahi would stay in the United States while officials continue to monitor developments.

The news follows reports that Wahi is the subject of an ongoing investigation in France.

It was reported on Wednesday that the striker was arrested by French police on May 29 as part of an inquiry into alleged fixing offences.

The investigation is reportedly examining whether Wahi deliberately received a yellow card while playing for Nice in a Ligue 1 match against Metz on May 17.

French authorities have confirmed that an investigation is ongoing, although Wahi has not been charged with any offence.

After being questioned, the striker was released from police custody and subsequently travelled to North America to join Ivory Coast for the World Cup.

The Ligue de Football Professionnel later confirmed that proceedings were underway following reports of unusual betting activity linked to a booking received by Wahi during the match in question.

The practice, commonly referred to as spot-fixing, involves the alleged manipulation of specific incidents within a game rather than the final result itself.

Despite the investigation, Wahi was permitted to take part in Ivory Coast’s opening World Cup fixture and remains eligible to represent his country.

His absence against Germany, however, represents a significant setback for the African side as they look to build on their opening victory.

Ivory Coast currently sit in a strong position in Group E after their win over Ecuador and will be hoping to secure qualification for the knockout stages.

Whether Wahi will be available again later in the tournament remains unclear, with the federation stating only that it will continue to monitor the situation while the player remains in the United States.