Ivory Coast Striker Elye Wahi Cleared For Entry To Canada Ahead Of Germany Clash

Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi has been granted permission to enter Canada after an earlier visa delay threatened his participation in Saturday's World Cup Group E match against Germany.

The development comes amid an ongoing investigation in France into alleged spot-fixing involving the Nice striker.

The 23-year-old Nice striker had initially been unable to obtain the necessary clearance to enter the country, raising doubts over his availability for Saturday's Group E encounter in Toronto.

However, as reported by BBC Sport, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed on Thursday that the issue had been resolved and that Wahi would now travel with the squad as normal.

Wahi started Ivory Coast's opening 1-0 victory over Ecuador and remains an important part of Emerse Fae's plans as the Elephants look to secure qualification for the knockout stages.

The uncertainty surrounding his participation emerged against the backdrop of an ongoing investigation in France. Wahi has been accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card while playing for Nice against Metz in May, an incident that has become part of a wider inquiry into alleged spot-fixing activities.

Spot-fixing involves deliberately influencing specific events within a match in a way that betting markets can exploit.

Earlier this week, Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) confirmed it had been alerted to what it described as "an unusually high volume of bets placed on a warning involving the player Elye Wahi."

A statement from the Marseille public prosecutor's office to The Athletic had confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 footballer had been arrested as part of an investigation into allegations of organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling proceeds of crime and money laundering. The player was not identified by name in the statement.

According to officials, the player was later released after being interviewed in police custody, while investigations remain ongoing.

Initially, the FIF stated it had received no formal notification of judicial or administrative proceedings involving Wahi but confirmed he had been unable to obtain authorisation to enter Canada.

That position changed on Thursday when the federation announced a positive resolution.

"The necessary authorisations for his entry into Canadian territory have now been obtained," the federation 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.

"The FIF welcomes this positive outcome and thanks the various parties who contributed to handling this matter."

According to reports from AFP, Canadian authorities had requested further information regarding Wahi's legal situation before approving his travel documents.

A spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada reiterated that all visitors are assessed individually under existing immigration laws.

"Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws," the spokesperson said.

"Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies, while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians as a top priority."

The timing of the decision is particularly important for Ivory Coast, who face Germany in one of the most anticipated fixtures of Group E before concluding their group-stage campaign against Curaçao next week in Philadelphia.

For Ivory Coast, however, the immediate concern has now been resolved. With Wahi available once more, Emerse Faé heads into Saturday's showdown against Germany with a near-full-strength squad as the Elephants seek to build on their dramatic opening victory over Ecuador.