Ivory Coast Bars 23-Year-Old Elye Wahi From Canada Match as Betting Probe Clouds World Cup
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 18
Ivory Coast Bars 23-Year-Old Elye Wahi From Canada Match as Betting Probe Clouds World Cup
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jun 18
Summary
Toronto will be without Ivory Coast striker Elye Wahi after the federation said it failed to secure authorization for him to enter Canada for this weekend’s World Cup game against Germany.
The travel block came a day after French authorities linked Wahi to a sports-corruption investigation triggered by unusual betting patterns around a yellow card he received in a Ligue 1 match for Nice last month.
Wahi has not been named as a suspect, but a Marseille prosecutor’s spokesperson said a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player was detained on May 29 in a case covering suspected organized fraud, sports corruption, handling stolen goods and money laundering.
The 23-year-old started Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador in Philadelphia on Monday and will stay in the United States until the team returns, leaving the squad without its opening-match striker against Germany.