World Cup Player Arrested for Alleged Spot-Fixing

Ivory Coast’s Elye Wahi has been denied entry into Canada for Saturday’s World Cup match against Germany.

The reason is a recent arrest for alleged spot-fixing, the illegal manipulation of a specific part of a sporting event. Spot-fixing, which does not necessarily affect the outcome of a match, is often done for betting purposes.

The Athletic spoke to sources with knowledge of the arrest, who said that the 23-year-old soccer player is part of an active investigation. He is accused of intentionally earning a yellow card against Metz on May 17 while playing for his club, Nice.

France’s Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) received notifications of suspicious betting patterns in Nice’s match against Metz. One particular bet focused on Wahi receiving a yellow card.

French police then arrested Wahi on May 29 after he scored two goals in a win over Saint-Etienne.

Wahi still traveled to the United States to play for Ivory Coast in the World Cup. He started a Group E match in Philadelphia as Ivory Coast defeated Ecuador 1-0. Once the team headed to Canada, he could not travel with them.

“The administrative authorizations necessary for his entry into Canadian territory could not be obtained at this stage,” Ivory Coast said in a statement. “Elye Wahi will therefore remain in the United States while waiting for the team’s return.”

Wahi being unable to travel to Canada takes place as the opening round of the World Cup takes place. Ivory Coast is currently viewed as one of the better options to win Group E.

According to Polymarket traders, Germany has the best chance to win Group E at 73%. Ivory Coast is second at 21%. Ecuador is third at 4% while Curacao has less than a 1% chance to win the group.

These numbers could certainly change in the coming days as Ivory Coast and Germany face off. If Ivory Coast pulls off the upset without Wahi in the lineup, the Polymarket traders could shift the numbers on the platform.

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