IVORY COAST FORWARD WAHI ARRESTED OVER ALLEGED SPOT-FIXING

Elye Wahi, a forward for Ligue 1 club Nice, was arrested by French police on 29 May on suspicion of spot-fixing offences. The arrest followed suspicious betting patterns detected by the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) around a Nice versus Metz match on 17 May. Multiple bets had been placed on Wahi receiving a yellow card during the fixture, which ended 0-0. Wahi did receive a yellow card in the 35th minute after a tackle on Metz defender Sadibou Sane.

Spot-fixing refers to the alleged manipulation of a specific outcome within a match rather than the overall result. The LFP, which governs France's domestic football league, initiated the investigation after identifying the irregular betting activity. Despite his arrest, Wahi has not been charged with a crime, which allowed him to travel to the United States to compete in the 2026 World Cup. Days before the arrest became public, Wahi was announced in Ivory Coast's World Cup squad.

Wahi featured in Ivory Coast's opening World Cup match against Ecuador on Sunday, playing 56 minutes and registering two shots on goal in a 1-0 victory. His status for Ivory Coast's next fixture against Germany on Saturday remains unclear pending FIFA's decision on how to proceed with the allegations. It is uncertain whether FIFA was informed of Wahi's arrest and the accusations against him before the tournament commenced. The Athletic contacted Wahi, Ivory Coast and FIFA for comment on the matter.