Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi has been ruled out of the FIFA World Cup group stage game against Germany after being denied entry into Canada . Wahi was reportedly arrested on suspicion of match-fixing just two weeks before the World Cup, in connection with an incident during a game for French club Nice last month.
The forward traveled to the United States for the tournament and featured from the start in their victory over Ecuador in Philadelphia, but the Ivorian Football Federation has since confirmed he will not be joining his teammates on the trip to Canada. The news comes after Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was also denied entry to the country ahead of their match against Panama .
A statement read: "The Ivorian Football Federation has taken note of the various articles and information published on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, concerning Ivorian international Elye Wahi. To date, the FIF has not been officially notified of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving him.
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"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 Ivorian Football Federation will continue to follow the situation closely and will communicate any useful official information," as per The Mirror .
According to The Athletic , Wahi was taken into custody and subsequently released following a police interview related to the alleged incident. The investigation focuses on whether he intentionally collected a yellow card during Nice's game against Metz on May 17.
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The forward joined Nice on a temporary basis in January from German club Eintracht Frankfurt , scoring nine goals to help propel his team to the French Cup final.
Ivory Coast kicked off their tournament in impressive fashion thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Manchester United 's Amad Diallo , as they edged past Ecuador earlier this week.
The Ivorians next face a Group E showdown against Germany in Toronto, with both sides knowing that a shared point would likely be sufficient to book their spots in the next round.
