Côte d’Ivoire striker Elye Wahi has been arrested without charge for alleged local fixing offenses while playing for French club Nice two weeks before the start of the World Cup.
Wahi started Ivory Coast’s opening win against Ecuador three days before The Athletic broke the news of the allegation.
While Wahi was released after questioning, there is still an ongoing investigation by Marseille’s public prosecutor’s office into wider allegations of organized fraud, sports corruption, handling of the proceeds of crime, and money laundering.
Wahi’s next move is uncertain as the investigation into spot-fixing continues.
Elye Wahi plays club football for Nice in Ligue 1.
The incident in question revolves around a yellow card received by Wahi for Nice during a goalless league draw with Metz, which attracted suspicious betting patterns.
The Ligue de Football Professional confirmed an unusual volume of betting related to a booking involving Wahi in that match against Metz.
The LFP’s full statement said it will make no further comment, reserving the right to do so depending on the progress of the investigations.
The LFP reiterated its commitment to protecting the integrity of its competitions, taking the strongest possible action against any behavior that could compromise it.
Spot-fixing, the manipulation of game events in collaboration with outside parties, is strictly prohibited in professional football.
Marseille prosecutors have not confirmed the name of the individual under investigation, who The Athletic insists is Wahi.
He was released after being interviewed in police custody. Investigations remain ongoing. The footballer is not a member of the French World Cup squad.
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Wahi has led an eventful career at 23. After a string of controversies while coming through the French academy system, the sharp forward made a name for himself with a 19-goal season for Montpellier in Ligue 1 as a teenager in 2022-23.
That stellar campaign signaled the start of a nomadic spell for Wahi, who has played for four different clubs in the past three years, amassing a collective transfer fee of $97.1m.
The Paris native has been called up by France at all age levels between U16 and U23, appearing twice at the 2024 home Olympics for Thierry Henry’s squad.
Germany face Côte d’Ivoire on Saturday. It remains to be seen whether Wahi will be selected again – he did quite well during his 56-minute outing against Ecuador – but there is the added complication of the venue of the match.
Day two’s Group Two match will take place in Toronto, forcing Wahi and his compatriots to cross the Canadian border.
Parallels were drawn to the case of Thomas Partey, who was denied entry to Canada for Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama, but there are some notable differences.
Wahi, on the other hand, was not charged after being questioned about a non-violent murder.
Wahi was accused of spot-fixing, which is strictly prohibited in professional football.
Wahi is a 23-year-old Côte d’Ivoire striker who plays for Nice in Ligue 1.
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