Canada approves Wahi’s travel for World Cup match, Ivory Coast confirm

FILE: Wahi

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Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi, who is under investigation over alleged betting-related offences, has been granted permission to travel to Canada for his country’s World Cup fixture against the German national football team, the Ivorian football federation said.

According to ESPN on Friday, the federation had earlier indicated that the 23-year-old would be unable to travel. Still, it later confirmed in a revised statement that the required authorisations had now been secured.

PUNCH Online quoted Athletic on Thursday as saying that French police arrested Wahi in May as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged spot-fixing activities.

Wahi started in Monday’s 1-0 win over the Ecuador national football team in Philadelphia.

The Elephants are scheduled to face Germany on Saturday in Toronto in their second match of the tournament.

Taous Ait, a spokesperson for Canada’s immigration minister, declined to comment on the situation, citing the need for authorisation from the individual concerned.

Investigations

On the investigative side, the French soccer league said Wednesday that an “unusual amount of bets” were placed internationally on Wahi receiving a yellow card during a match on May 17 while he was playing for OGC Nice.

The league said it was alerted by betting-monitoring partners regarding suspicious activity around Nice’s home match against Metz, which ended 0-0 and in which Wahi was booked.

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The information was passed on to police, gambling regulators, and the French soccer federation.

Asked whether Wahi had been questioned by police, the Marseille prosecutor’s office told The Associated Press “a 23-year-old professional football player, competing in France’s Ligue 1 championship, was arrested on May 29, 2026, as part of their investigation.”

The office added “the investigation concerns alleged offences of organised fraud, organised sports corruption, receiving stolen goods, and money laundering.” The player was questioned while in custody and later released without being detained.

Representatives for Wahi did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ivorian football federation

The Ivorian football federation said it has not been formally informed “of any judicial or administrative proceedings” regarding Wahi. It added that it “offers its full support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him.”

It also stated: “Elye Wahi remains an important member of the Ivory Coast national team.”

Wahi joined OGC Nice on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt in January, scoring nine goals in 18 appearances across all competitions and helping the club reach the French Cup final.

The French league season concluded on May 17. Wahi later scored twice within two weeks to help Nice retain top-flight status in a 4-1 victory over AS Saint-Étienne in the second leg of the promotion-relegation playoffs.

Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.

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