Elye Wahi started Ivory Coast’s first game of the World Cup last week, helping his nation to a 1-0 win over Ecuador. But just weeks before the tournament kicked off, he was in police custody in Marseille, France, facing allegations of spot-fixing.
Prosecutors allege that Wahi deliberately received a yellow card when playing for French Ligue 1 side Nice against Metz last month.
In the space of a few minutes, Wahi committed a series of fouls, eventually earning a yellow card in the 35th minute for a late tackle on Sadibou Sane. An unusually high amount of bets was allegedly placed on the player to be booked during the first half of the match.
Suspicious Betting Triggers Investigation
The French Professional Football League (LFP) confirmed it had been alerted to suspicious betting on Wahi to receive a yellow card.
“These alerts concerned an unusual amount of bets being placed on a caution [yellow card] being issued to the player Elye Wahi,” the LFP said, in comments reported by ESPN.
The LFP then alerted authorities. A spokesperson for the Marseille prosecutor’s office did not name Wahi, but confirmed that a 23-year-old Ligue 1 player was taken into custody on May 29. Wahi is 23 years old. The player was questioned as part of an investigation into suspected fraud, sports corruption, handling stolen goods, and money laundering.
“He was released after he was interviewed in police custody. The investigations remain ongoing,” the prosecutor added.
If found guilty, Wahi could face a lengthy suspension and criminal charges. Earlier this season, three players in Australia were banned for between four and seven years for deliberately picking up yellow cards for betting purposes.
Allegations do not prove guilt, however. Lucas Paqueta, who is playing at the World Cup with Brazil, was cleared after a lengthy investigation into accusations he deliberately picked up yellow cards when playing for English Premier League side West Ham United.
Yellow Card Triggered Suspension
Nice’s game against Metz was the final match of a disappointing season, and it ended 0-0. That meant that Nice had to play a relegation playoff against Saint-Etienne a week later.
Following the match, angry supporters invaded the pitch, and the players had to race down the tunnel to avoid confrontation. Fans had attacked players earlier in the season, angered at a series of disappointing results.
The yellow card was Wahi’s fifth in 14 matches after joining Nice on loan from Frankfurt in January. This meant he was suspended for the first leg of the crucial relegation playoff.
He returned in the second leg, scoring twice in a 4-1 Nice victory, which preserved their status in France’s top flight. He was also shown a yellow card in that match.
Second World Cup Player Under Investigation
A report in The Athletic earlier this month said two players featured in the World Cup are under investigation over spot-fixing in the past season.
One player matches Wahi’s description, while another involves a player who allegedly deliberately received a yellow card in a league match to ensure the resulting suspension would be served before a big upcoming derby, guaranteeing their availability.
The Athletic did not name the player but said the scheme was discussed widely enough in advance to lead to unusually high stakes on his booking. Suspicious betting activity was flagged by integrity monitoring systems, and the case has been referred to the country’s soccer authority.
