Canada Denies Visa to Ivory Coast Starting Striker, Likely Missing Germany Match

Ivory Coast will be without a key player for their World Cup match against Germany. The "Elephants" will have to contend without striker Ely Wahi in Toronto on Saturday.

The reason is that the 23-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt player, who was on loan at Nice last season, has been denied entry into Canada due to allegations of match-fixing.

On Thursday, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) announced their player's absence. "The necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canada could not be obtained at this time," the statement read. Wahi will remain in the USA, awaiting the team's return. The forward was a starter in their 1-0 victory over Ecuador.

Wahi faces match-fixing allegations. The Athletic reported that in May, he was briefly detained in France on suspicion of "organized fraud, organized corruption in sports, handling proceeds from criminal activity, and money laundering." This was confirmed by the Marseille prosecutor's office, which specified: "The player in question was released after questioning in police custody. The investigation is ongoing."

The suspicion against Wahi is linked to a French top-flight match on May 17th. He is suspected of intentionally receiving a yellow card in the game against Metz. The French Football League reported receiving alerts about unusual activity in international sports betting related to the match. An unusually high number of bets were placed on Wahi receiving an official caution. The league has referred the matter to French judicial authorities.

The Ivorian Federation noted its awareness of the reports but simultaneously emphasized: "In this particularly delicate moment, the Federation expresses its full support for the player and reaffirms its trust in him. Ely Wahi remains an important part of the Ivory Coast national team."

The footballer is a recent national team call-up, with three appearances for the African side so far. Wahi scored 10 goals for Nice last season, including two in the crucial relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne (4-1). This marks another similar incident, following Canada's denial of a visa to Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who is under investigation for sexual assault allegations.