Cote d'Ivoire's Wahi denied entry to Canada after match-fixing claims

NEW YORK, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire forward Elye Wahi has become the second player at this summer's World Cup to be denied entry to Canada after it emerged he is under investigation by French authorities in a match-fixing case.

The Ivorian Football Federation said Thursday that Wahi will not travel with the rest of the squad to Toronto for Saturday's Group E match against Germany because "the necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage."

The 23-year-old, who started in Cote d'Ivoire's 1-0 victory over Ecuador in its opening group match, is part of an active investigation into whether he deliberately received a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in a Ligue 1 match on May 17.

French media reports said Wahi was detained on May 29 and later released after questioning.

In a statement, the federation said it had "taken note of the various articles and information published on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, concerning international player Elye Wahi," but added that it had "not been officially notified of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving him."

The federation did not indicate whether Wahi would be available for Cote d'Ivoire's remaining group-stage matches. Enditem