Ivory Coast World Cup player Elye Wahi under French police investigation for alleged spot-fixing
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Ivory Coast international striker Elye Wahi, currently with the Elephants at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was arrested by French police in May as part of an investigation into alleged spot-fixing. The 23-year-old forward is being investigated over claims he deliberately sought a yellow card during a French Ligue 1 match between Nice and Metz on May 17. Authorities are examining suspicious betting patterns linked to wagers placed on Wahi being booked. A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor鈥檚 office confirmed a 23-year-old football player in France鈥檚 Ligue 1 was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation into allegations of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime, and money laundering. Wahi was released after questioning, and investigations are ongoing. The Ligue de Football Professionnel LFP is also looking into the matter but has not taken disciplinary action at this stage, stating it remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of its competitions. Despite the ongoing investigation, Wahi was included in Ivory Coast鈥檚 squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and played 55 minutes in their 1-0 victory over Ecuador.
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Must ReadIvory Coast forward Elye Wahi will not participate in the team's second World Cup match against Germany after being denied a visa to enter Canada. The Ivorian federation confirmed that the necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canadian territory were not obtained, preventing him from traveling with the delegation for Saturday's match in Toronto. Wahi is the second World Cup player to face a Canadian entry denial, following Ghana's Thomas Partey. Wahi was arrested by French police in May as part of an investigation into alleged spot-fixing activities, specifically claims that he deliberately sought a yellow card during a French Ligue 1 match between Nice and Metz on May 17. Authorities are examining suspicious betting patterns related to wagers on Wahi receiving a booking. A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor鈥檚 office confirmed his arrest on May 29 as part of an investigation into organized fraud, sports corruption, handling of criminal proceeds, and money laundering. Wahi was released after questioning, and investigations are ongoing. The Ligue de Football Professionnel is also looking into the matter but has not initiated disciplinary action at this stage. Despite the ongoing investigation, Wahi was included in Ivory Coast's 2026 FIFA World Cup squad and played for 55 minutes in their 1-0 victory over Ecuador.
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