By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Ivory Coast forward Elye Wahi was reportedly arrested on suspicion of match-fixing offences just days before the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to The Athletic, the 23-year-old is the subject of an ongoing investigation into whether he deliberately received a yellow card while playing for Nice in their Ligue 1 clash against Metz on May 17.
Wahi, who made his World Cup debut in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 victory over Ecuador on June 14, was arrested by French police on May 29 shortly after scoring twice in Nice’s 4-1 relegation play-off win over Saint-Etienne.
A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office confirmed the arrest to The Athletic.
“We can confirm that a 23-year-old football player competing in France’s Ligue 1 was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation opened by the Marseille public prosecutor’s office into allegations of organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering,” the spokesperson said.
“He was released after being interviewed while in police custody. The investigation remains ongoing. The football player is not a member of the French national team participating in the World Cup.”
Authorities are continuing their inquiries, with no charges having been announced at this stage.
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