According to a report by The Athletic on Wednesday, Ivory Coast international Elye Wahi, aged 23, has been arrested in connection with an ongoing investigation into alleged match-fixing activities.

The arrest took place in France two weeks earlier. Wahi, who was on loan at OGC Nice for the latter half of the previous season, is under investigation for allegedly receiving a yellow card deliberately during the fixture between Les Aiglons and FC Metz on 17 May. The booking caused him to miss the first leg of the Ligue 1 promotion and relegation play-off against AS Saint-Étienne.

Reports of multiple bets placed on Wahi being shown a yellow card were submitted to the French Football Federation (FFF), prompting the authorities’ anti-corruption unit to question the Ivorian forward. Although no formal charges have been filed, as the inquiry remains active, Wahi was subsequently granted permission to travel to the United States to join Ivory Coast’s World Cup campaign.

The former France youth international featured in Ivory Coast’s opening match, a 1-0 victory over Ecuador. However, his national federation has confirmed that he will not take part in the upcoming fixture against Germany scheduled for Saturday.

The match is set to take place in Toronto, Canada, but Wahi has not been granted entry into the country. Consequently, he will stay back in the United States while his teammates continue their World Cup journey.

— Reported by Luke Entwistle for GFFN