Fresh off a last-minute win over Ecuador in the first game of the World Cup, Cote d’Ivoire appeared to be flying high. However, the Elephants find themselves embroiled in controversy ahead of their second match, a tilt against group leaders Germany, reports sportingnews.com.
 
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.
 
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. 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 Côte d’Ivoire 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 organised fraud, organised sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering.”