Elye Wahi questioned by French police ahead of World Cup amid match-fixing suspicions

Just days before heading to the World Cup, Ivorian striker Elye Wahi was detained by French police and questioned in connection with suspicions of match-fixing in Ligue 1.

Elye Wahi, the Ivorian international striker, found himself at the center of a police investigation just as he was preparing to represent Côte d’Ivoire at the World Cup. French authorities questioned the player, who had spent the season with OGC Nice, regarding a potential match-fixing scandal in Ligue 1. The investigation reportedly began after suspicious betting patterns were detected around a specific incident during Nice’s final match of the season.

The incident in question occurred on May 17 during the league match between Nice and Metz, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Wahi received a yellow card in the 35th minute for a reckless tackle on Metz defender Sadibou Sané. Notably, two minutes earlier, he had committed a similar foul on Metz’s right-back Bouna Sarr, which went unpenalized. This yellow card marked his fifth of the season, resulting in a suspension that kept him out of the first leg of Nice’s relegation playoff against Saint-Étienne, which ended 0-0 away.

From suspension to redemption

After serving his suspension, Wahi returned to the lineup for the second leg of the playoff on May 29. The striker responded emphatically, scoring two goals and earning the man of the match award in Nice’s 4-1 victory, which secured their Ligue 1 status for the following season. It was immediately after this match that French anti-corruption officers arrested Wahi.

The Marseille public prosecutor’s office later confirmed the arrest in an official statement: