Ivory Coast national team forward Elye Wahi has been denied entry into Canada and will miss Saturday’s FIFA World Cup Group E match against Germany in Toronto.

The 23-year-old Nice striker was unable to obtain the required administrative authorizations to cross the Canadian border.

The development follows recent reports detailing Wahi’s brief arrest in France late last month regarding an active investigation into alleged spot-fixing in Ligue 1.

Federation confirms absence

The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed the travel restriction in a statement on Thursday.

The federation noted that Wahi will remain in the United States while the rest of the squad travels to Canada.

“To date, the FIF has not been officially notified of any judicial or administrative proceedings involving him,” the statement read. “In this particularly delicate period, the FIF extends all its support to the player and reaffirms its confidence in him.”

Wahi played 55 minutes as a starter in Ivory Coast’s opening 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Philadelphia on Sunday.

Spot-fixing allegations background

The administrative refusal is tied to an ongoing French legal probe. According to reports, French anti-corruption police arrested Wahi on May 29 following suspicious betting patterns flagged by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP).

The Marseille public prosecutor’s office is investigating whether Wahi deliberately picked up a 35th-minute yellow card during Nice’s match against Metz on May 17.

The booking triggered an automatic one-match suspension for the accumulation of cautions.

Wahi was released from police custody without formal charges after questioning, which allowed him to travel to North America for the tournament.

Investigators continue to examine potential links to organized sports corruption, fraud, and money laundering.

Ivory Coast faces Germany on Saturday before concluding group play against Curacao on June 25.