Elye Wahi arrest details: What to know about Ivory Coast player allegedly involved in fixed matches with club side Nice

[ASFN Admin]

You must be registered for see images attach

Elye Wahi arrest details: What to know about Ivory Coast player allegedly involved in fixed matches with club side Nice originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Fresh off a last-minute win over Ecuador in the first game of the World Cup, Ivory Coast appeared to be flying high.

However, the Elephants find themselves embroiled in controversy ahead of their second match, a tilt against group leaders Germany.

Elye Wahi, the side's star striker who tallied nine goals in 19 games with Nice to help the French side avoid relegation in Ligue 1, is the subject of a French investigation related to allegations of fixing offences, according to The Athletic.

Here's what you need to know.

2026 WORLD CUP HQ:Latest World Cup news | Full World Cup schedule | Buy World Cup tickets

Elye Wahi arrest details​

The Athletic reported that French police arrested Wahi, 23, on May 29, shortly after he scored two goals in Nice's win over Saint-Etienne to keep his side in Ligue 1. He was apprehended on suspicion of match-fixing, with authorities looking into whether he deliberately earned a yellow card in Nice's May 17 match against Metz.

Wahi subsequently travelled with Ivory Coast to the United States for the World Cup. He started in the Ivorians' 1-0 win over Ecuador on Sunday, striking the bar in the second half.

A spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor's office confirmed to The Athletic that "23-year-old football player, competing in France’s Ligue 1, was arrested" as part of a probe " into allegations of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering."

Did Elye Wahi fix matches?​

Wahi is accused of committing "fixing offenses", per The Athletic. The allegations stem from an incident during Nice's match against Metz on May 17. Wahi received a yellow card in the 35th minute of the match after catching Metz defender Sadibou Sane with a late tackle. Two minutes earlier, Wahi took out Metz full-back Bouna Sarr. That challenge went unpunished, however.

The caution proved consequential for Nice. He was suspended for the first leg of Nice's relegation playoff match against Saint-Etienne on May 26. Nice drew 0-0 in the contest as Wahi watched on from the stands.

In the second leg, Wahi shined, producing two goals in a man of the match performance as Nice swept Saint-Etienne aside 4-1 to confirm it would remain in Ligue 1 during the 2026-27 season.

Following that May 29 contest, French anti-corruption specialists arrested Wahi. He has not been charged with any crime, allowing him to travel with Ivory Coast's squad to the 2026 World Cup. As of June 17, FIFA hasn't offered a comment on Wahi's status going forward.

Is Elye Wahi playing in World Cup?​

As of June 17, Wahi is, indeed, playing in the World Cup. The Ivorian striker, who initially represented France at youth level, played 55 minutes in Ivory Coast's opener against Ecuador. During his outing, he hit the bar with a fiery effort before giving way to Inter Milan attacker Ange Yoan-Bonny. The Ivorians went on to win the game 1-0 courtesy of Manchester United winger Amad Diallo's 90th-minute winner.

Elye Wahi controversies​

Wahi has been the subject of numerous scandals across his budding career. In 2018, he was expelled from secondary school while playing in Caen's academy. The expulsion came after a disciplinary committee accused the then-15-year-old Wahi of physically threatening three fellow students to undress and masturbate in front of him, according to The Spectator's Romain Tarayre.

Caen subsequently released Wahi from the academy. Caen didn't pursue a court case against Wahi and his family and he was not restricted from joining other clubs. He eventually landed at Montpellier, where he would go on to score 32 goals in 92 matches.

In Oct. 2021, Wahi was named in a legal complaint from a 22-year-old. The filing, made in a French court, alleged that he punched her in the nose at a nightclub a month earlier. The woman claimed that injuries from Wahi's assault left her physically incapable of working. The court was eventually closed without further action, with Wahi's entourage denying the woman's allegation.

Continue reading...