Ivory Coast's Wahi allowed into Canada after visa issue

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• Published18 June 2026

Ivory Coast international Elye Wahi will be allowed into Canada for his country's World Cup group game against Germany on Saturday, after earlier being denied entry.

The Nice forward was reportedly, external arrested last month before the World Cup over alleged involvement in spot-fixing in Ligue 1.

Wahi, 23 - who started Sunday's World Cup win over Ecuador – has been accused of deliberately earning a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in May.

Spot-fixing is the practice of deliberately affecting match incidents in a way that allows people to profit through betting markets.

A statement to The Athletic from the public prosecutor's office in Marseille confirmed a 23-year-old football player, competing in France's Ligue 1, was arrested, without naming Wahi.

On Wednesday, Ligue de Football (LFP) confirmed they had been alerted to "an unusually high volume of bets placed on a warning involving the player Elye Wahi".

The Ivory Coast's football federation (FIF) said it had not been told of any "judicial or administrative proceedings" against Wahi, but confirmed he had not been able to obtain authorisation to enter Canada.

However, FIF released an update later on Thursday confirming the player would be part of the travelling party for their second Group E game.

The AFP news agency has reported that Canadian officials had delayed Wahi's visa authorisation after requesting more information about his legal situation, before rubber-stamping his entry.

"The necessary authorisations for his entry into Canadian territory have now been obtained," a statement from FIF said.

"As a result, the Ivorian international is authorised to travel with the Elephants' delegation to Canada and will continue his participation in the competition alongside his team-mates as normal.

"The FIF welcomes this positive outcome and thanks the various parties who contributed to handling this matter."

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) told BBC Sport: "Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws.

"Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies, while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians as a top priority.

"In exceptional circumstances, temporary resident permits may be granted to a person who is inadmissible or does not meet the requirements to enter or remain temporarily in Canada."

After facing Germany in Toronto, the Ivory Coast then play Curacao in Philadelphia next Thursday.

The statement from the Marseille public prosecutor's office said the arrest was made "as part of an investigation opened by the Marseille public prosecutor's office into allegations of organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering".

The player was released after being interviewed in police custody and the investigations remain ongoing, officials added.

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

That game ended in a 0-0 draw but Wahi returned for the second leg in which he scored twice in a 4-1 victory to help Nice keep their place in the top flight.

BBC Sport has contacted Wahi's representatives and Fifa for comment.

The LFP said: "At this stage, and given the ongoing investigation and the confidentiality requirements imposed by the police authorities, the LFP will not make any further comments and has not initiated disciplinary proceedings. However, it reserves the right to do so depending on the progress of the investigation.

"The LFP reiterates that it remains fully committed to ensuring the integrity of its competitions and that it will act with the utmost firmness against any behaviour that could compromise it."

Wahi was the second World Cup player to be denied entry to Canada after Ghana's Thomas Partey was refused a visa because of ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK.

Former Arsenal midfielder Partey pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022 and is scheduled to stand trial next year.

Partey wrongly told officials in Canada he had never been arrested or charged with a crime and missed Ghana's World Cup win over Panama as a result.

The Ghanaian government sought permission for him to enter the country briefly to take part in the game but that appeal was rejected at a federal court in Ottawa.

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• Football
• FIFA World Cup 2026

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