Ivory Coast have suffered a major setback ahead of their second FIFA World Cup match after striker Elye Wahi was denied a visa to enter Canada, ruling him out of Saturday’s clash against Germany in Toronto.
The Ivorian Football Federation confirmed the development on Thursday, stating that the necessary administrative authorisations for Wahi’s entry into Canada had not been secured.
“The administrative authorisations necessary for his entry into Canadian territory have not been obtained at this stage,” the federation said, adding that the forward would be unable to travel with the team for the crucial Group stage encounter.
Wahi becomes the second player at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be denied entry into Canada. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was previously barred from entering the country due to ongoing legal issues in Britain.
The latest setback comes amid an ongoing investigation involving the 23-year-old forward in France. Wahi was arrested by French police in May as part of a probe into alleged spot-fixing activities linked to a Ligue 1 match between Nice and Metz on May 17.
According to reports, investigators are examining suspicious betting patterns surrounding wagers placed on the Marseille striker receiving a yellow card during the encounter. Spot-fixing refers to the manipulation of a specific event within a sporting contest for betting purposes without necessarily affecting the final result.
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A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office confirmed that Wahi was questioned by authorities after his arrest on May 29 as part of an investigation into allegations including organised fraud, sports corruption, money laundering and handling proceeds of crime.
The player was later released following questioning, while investigations continue.
France’s professional football governing body, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), has also acknowledged the case but said no disciplinary proceedings have been initiated at this stage due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Despite the controversy, Wahi was included in Ivory Coast’s final squad for the World Cup and featured for 55 minutes in the Elephants’ opening 1-0 victory over Ecuador.
His absence against Germany now leaves Ivory Coast without one of their attacking options as they seek to build on their winning start to the tournament.