2026 FIFA WC: Ivory Coast's Wahi denied entry to Canada for clash against Germany
Abidjan, June 18
Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi has been denied entry to Canada and will miss his country's FIFA World Cup group-stage match against Germany in Toronto on Saturday, the Ivorian Football Federation confirmed on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Nice striker, who featured in Ivory Coast's opening World Cup victory over Ecuador, was unable to secure the administrative authorisations required to enter Canada and will remain in the United States.
The development comes amid reports in France linking Wahi to an investigation into alleged spot-fixing in Ligue 1. The allegations relate to Nice's league match against Metz in May, where Wahi is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card.
French prosecutors have confirmed to The Athletic that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 footballer was arrested as part of the investigation, though no player was officially named. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) later said it had been alerted to an unusually high volume of bets placed on a booking involving Wahi.
In a statement, the Federation Ivoirienne de Football (FIF), the governing body of football in the Ivory Coast, said it had not received any official notification regarding legal proceedings involving the player and reaffirmed its support for him.
"The Ivorian Football Federation has taken note of the various articles and information published on this Wednesday, June 17, 2026, concerning the Ivorian international Elye Wahi. To date, the FIF has not been officially notified of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving him."
"In this particularly delicate period, the FIF extends all its support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him. Elye Wahi remains an important element of the Ivory Coast national team.
"The FIF also informs that the player will not be able to join the delegation's trip to Canada. Indeed, the necessary administrative authorisations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage. Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States pending the team's return," the official statement further added.
Wahi is the second World Cup player in recent days to encounter entry issues involving Canada. Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was also denied entry for his country's opening group match against Panama, prompting a formal protest from the Ghanaian government.
Ivory Coast will face Germany in Toronto before returning to the United States for their next Group-stage match against Curacao in Philadelphia.
— IANS
Reader Comments
World Cup mein khelne se pehle hi entry deny? That's harsh. But if spot-fixing allegations are true, Canada has every right to be cautious. Football needs to stay clean—India has seen enough match-fixing scandals in cricket. 🏏⚽
Two African players denied entry in one tournament? Something smells fishy. Either Canada's system is broken, or there's bias. The Ivory Coast federation backing Wahi without official notice is right—you can't punish someone on rumor alone. Let him play ⚽
As a football fan, this is disappointing. India's own players face visa issues abroad sometimes, so I feel for Wahi. But the spot-fixing allegations are serious—if proven, it could damage his career. Hope FIF gets to the bottom of this quickly. 🇮🇳⚽
Canada needs to clarify its entry rules for players. Denying entry based on unconfirmed allegations sets a bad precedent—what if someone falsely accuses a player in future? Courts should decide, not immigration officers. Wahi deserves due process. #JusticeForWahi
France is investigating, but Canada jumped the gun. Either way, Wahi missing a World Cup game against Germany is big news. Imagine if Kohli was denied entry during a cricket World Cup—chaos! Hope FIFA steps in to streamline player entry for all nations. 🤔
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