Another African player has been denied a visa entry into Canada ahead of his side’s upcoming 2026 World Cup fixture.
Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi has been denied a visa for entry into Canada ahead of the Elephants’ Group E clash against Germany at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming the second African player to encounter visa problems during the tournament.
Canadian authorities had delayed the 23-year-old’s authorisation to enter the country while seeking further information about his legal status amid an ongoing investigation in France into alleged spot-fixing.
Wahi, who started Ivory Coast’s opening 2-1 win over Ecuador, was arrested last month as part of a probe into allegations that he deliberately received a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in May.
French prosecutors confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player had been questioned over allegations of organised fraud, organised sports corruption, money laundering and handling the proceeds of crime, though no player was named. The investigations remain ongoing after the player was released following police questioning.
France’s Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said it had been alerted to an unusually high volume of bets placed on Wahi receiving a booking in the match. The league added that it had not opened disciplinary proceedings but reserved the right to do so depending on the outcome of the investigation.
The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) earlier confirmed that Wahi had been unable to obtain permission to enter Canada, but later announced that the issue had been resolved.
“The necessary authorisations for his entry into Canadian territory have now been obtained,” FIF said in a statement.
“As a result, the Ivorian international is authorised to travel with the Elephants’ delegation to Canada and will continue his participation in the competition alongside his team-mates as normal.”
According to AFP, Canadian officials eventually approved Wahi’s visa after receiving additional information regarding his legal situation.
Wahi is the second African player to face entry problems during the World Cup after Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey was denied a visa because of ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
Ivory Coast face Germany in Toronto on Saturday before concluding their group campaign against Curacao in Philadelphia next Thursday.
