Ivory Coast striker granted last-minute Canada visa after initial denial

Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi was granted last-minute authorization Thursday to travel to Canada after initially being denied entry.

Announcing that Wahi’s “administrative situation” had been resolved, the Ivorian Football Federation said on X that “As a result, the Ivorian international is authorized to travel with the Elephants delegation to Canada and will continue his participation in the competition as normal alongside his teammates.”

The decision came just hours after a federation statement said the 23-year-old Ligue 1 player would be unable to travel to Canada for his country's match against Germany because “the necessary administrative authorizations for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage.”

The Athletic reported Wednesday that Wahi had been arrested on suspicion of match-fixing offenses less than two weeks before the World Cup. French authorities said unusual betting patterns had been detected surrounding a yellow card received by the Ivory Coast striker while playing for his Ligue 1 club Nice last month.

Wahi’s lawyer Marie Dose said earlier that the player had been questioned “for a few hours” last month before being released.

“Elye Wahi is therefore not facing charges at this stage and is not subject to any judicial restrictions,” she added.