Elye Wahi in action against Ecuador at Philadelphia Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US on June 14. (Picture credit: Reuters)
* He was unauthorised for travel after he was reportedly arrested last month in a French spot-fixing investigation
* Wahi, who was not immediately available to comment, has not been named as a suspect
Maravi Express
Côte d’Ivoire forward Elye Wahi will not travel to Canada for tomorrow’s FIFA World Cup™ 2026 clash with Germany in Toronto because his authorisation to visit the country has not been obtained, the Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) confirmed.
Advertisement
According to reports, Wahi was linked to an investigation into suspected sports corruption, with French authorities saying unusual betting patterns were detected around a yellow card Wahi received in a Ligue 1 match while playing for his club side Nice last month.
Wahi, who was not immediately available to comment, has not been named as a suspect but a spokesperson for the Marseille prosecutor’s office told Reuters that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player was taken into custody on May 29 as part of an investigation into suspected organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling stolen goods and money laundering.
Wahi started up front when Côte d’Ivoire defeated Ecuador 1-0 in their World Cup opener in Philadelphia on Monday and will remain in the US pending the team’s return against their final group match against Curaçao, the federation said.
Meanwhile, Germany’s captain Joshua Kimmich is wary of Côte d’Ivoire, saying the Germans have tricky fixtures coming ahead.
Germany dispatched Curaçao in their opening World Cup match with a 7-1 win, but that didn’t come easily as the underdogs pushed and pushed and made life hard for the four-time World Cup winners.
Joshua Kimmich knows how Les Éléphants will not be pushovers and singled out a player that he is familiar with; saying: “A year ago, hardly anyone knew him. He’s had an outstanding season, even though RB Leipzig had a few problems,” Kimmich said (as captured by X account @iMiaSanMia).
Yan Diomande
“His dribbling is exceptional, a bit like Kingsley Coman at Bayern back in the day. He’s got incredible pace. But there we have to prepare for — they have spectacular attacking players.”
Some of the notable names on the Côte d’Ivoire squad include Diomande, Amad Diallo, Ibrahim Sangaré, Seko Fofana, Guéla Doué, and more — with Diallo scoring a 90th-minute winner against Ecuador in the other Group E match.
The 19-year-old Diomande has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past year, transforming from a relatively unknown prospect into one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting talents.
The youngster’s journey has been extraordinary. Just over a year ago, he scored his first professional goal while playing for Spanish club Leganes before securing a move to RB Leipzig in July 2025.
Diomande in RB Leipzig colours
His debut Bundesliga season exceeded expectations, producing 12 goals and eight assists as Leipzig finished third in the league and qualified for the UEFA Champions League.
Those performances have reportedly attracted interest from several of Europe’s elite clubs.
Germany are eager to secure their place in the knockout rounds as early as possible. After lifting the World Cup trophy in 2014, they suffered disappointing group-stage exits in both 2018 and 2022 and are determined to avoid a repeat.
German defender Antonio Rüdiger acknowledged the challenge posed by Côte d’Ivoire’s attacking players, highlighting Diomande alongside experienced forwards Nicolas Pépé and Amad Diallo.
Amad Diallo
“We have to pay special attention to Diomande,” Rüdiger said. “But Côte d’Ivoire have other dangerous players too. Pepe and Amad are extremely quick and thrive in one-on-one situations. We must be ready for their speed and their ability to break forward quickly.”
With both teams aiming to strengthen their chances of reaching the Round of 16, Saturday’s showdown promises to be one of the standout fixtures in Group E.—Reporting by Reuters, Bavarian Football Works & Africa Top Sports; editing by Maravi Express
Group stage results
Group A
Mexico 2-0 South Africa
South Korea 2-1 Czechia
Czech Republic 1-2 South Africa
Mexico 1-0 South Korea
Group B
Canada 1-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Qatar 1-1 Switzerland
Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia & Herzegovina
Canada 6-0 Qatar
Group C
Brazil 1-1 Morocco
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Group D
USA 4-1 Paraguay
Australia 2-0 Turkiye
Group E
Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 Ecuador
Germany 7-1 Curacao
Group F
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Sweden 5-1 Tunisia
Group G
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
Group H
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
Group I
France 3-1 Senegal
Iraq 1-4 Norway
Group J
Argentina 3-0 Algeria
Austria 3-1 Jordan
Group K
Portugal 1-1 DR Congo
Uzbekistan 1-3 Colombia
Group L
England 4-2 Croatia
Ghana 1-0 Panama
Advertisement