New Delhi, June 18: Ely Wahy, the forward for Ivory Coast, has been denied entry to Canada. He will miss his country’s FIFA World Cup group-stage match against Germany in Toronto on Saturday. The Ivory Coast Football Federation announced this news on Thursday.
The 23-year-old Wahy was part of Ivory Coast’s opening World Cup victory against Ecuador. Due to the lack of necessary administrative approval for entry into Canada, he will remain in the United States.
Wahy’s entry denial is linked to an incident in France. Reports suggest that he is associated with an investigation into alleged spot-fixing in Ligue 1. The allegations stem from a match in May against Metz, where Wahy is accused of deliberately receiving a yellow card. He plays for Nice.
According to reports, a 23-year-old Ligue 1 footballer has been arrested, although Wahy’s name was not mentioned. Ligue de Football Professionnel later stated that they were alerted to unusually high betting on a booking associated with Wahy.
The governing body of football in Ivory Coast, Fédération Ivoirienne de Football, released a statement saying they have not received any official information regarding legal actions involving the player. “Our support is with the player,” they stated.
The Ivory Coast Football Federation also acknowledged various articles and information published about Wahy on Wednesday. They confirmed that they have not received any official notice regarding judicial or administrative actions related to him. “We support our player during this delicate time,” they added. Wahy will remain in the United States until the team returns.
Wahy is not the only player facing entry issues for the World Cup. Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey was also denied entry for his country’s opening group match against Panama, a decision protested by the Ghanaian government.
Ivory Coast’s next match is against Germany in Toronto, followed by another group-stage match against Curaçao in Philadelphia, United States.
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