Canada prevents the Côte d’Ivoire striker from entering its territory before the Germany match sports

Côte d’Ivoire suffered a painful blow before its expected confrontation with Germany in the second round of the group stage of the 2026 World Cup, after it was confirmed that striker Elie Wahi would be absent from the match that will be held in the Canadian city of Toronto.

The Ivorian Football Federation confirmed in an official statement that the player will not be able to travel with the national team delegation to Canada because he has not yet obtained the necessary administrative licenses to enter Canadian territory. Accordingly, Wahi will remain in the United States waiting for the national team to return from its trip.

This absence comes at a sensitive time for the Elephants team, especially since Wahi was part of the starting lineup that played the first match against Ecuador, which ended with a 1-0 win for Côte d’Ivoire, which put the team in a good position before facing Germany, which may give it an early qualification ticket to the next round.

Wahi is 23 years old. He played the second half of last season with French club Nice on loan from German club Eintracht Frankfurt, and is considered one of the attacking elements that the Ivorian team relies on in this tournament.

A judicial investigation and questions about absence

This development comes just one day after French media reports circulated about the opening of an investigation by the Public Prosecution in the city of Marseille regarding suspicions related to sports corruption, without any official confirmation linking this case to the player’s inability to enter Canada.

In its statement, the Ivorian Federation affirmed their full support for the player, stressing its confidence in him and its support for him during this period.

This is not the first case during the current World Cup, as the tournament also witnessed the absence of Ghanaian national team player Thomas Partey from the match against Panama after he was refused entry to Canada, due to the legal issues he faces in Britain.

The Ivorian team will be required to find appropriate offensive solutions to compensate for Wahi’s absence against a German team that, in turn, is seeking to confirm its strong start in the tournament, in one of the most prominent matches of the second round.