World Cup: Ivory Coast Striker Wahi Denied Entry to Canada Amid Match-Fixing Investigation

Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi has been denied a visa to enter Canada, ruling him out of his country’s second World Cup match against Germany scheduled for Saturday in Toronto.

The announcement was made by the Ivorian Football Federation, which confirmed that the striker would not be travelling with the national team delegation to Canada. The federation, however, did not disclose the reason for the visa refusal.

Wahi is currently under investigation in France over allegations of spot-fixing following a French league match between OGC Nice and FC Metz in May. The investigation centres on claims that the player deliberately received a yellow card during the game.

Spot-fixing involves manipulating specific incidents within a match, such as bookings or corners, to influence betting outcomes without necessarily affecting the final result.

Reports indicate that betting companies flagged an unusually high volume of wagers predicting Wahi would be booked during the match, prompting authorities to launch an inquiry.

On Wednesday, the Ligue de Football Professionnel announced that it had filed a complaint with the police over alleged acts that could amount to sporting fraud and organised corruption.

Born in France to Ivorian parents, Wahi switched his international allegiance to Ivory Coast earlier this year and made his debut for the Elephants in March. He featured in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 victory over Ecuador in their opening World Cup fixture.

Wahi becomes the second player at the tournament to face entry issues into Canada. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was also reportedly denied entry due to an ongoing sexual assault case in the United States.