Ivory Coast star arrested for alleged intentional yellow card in Ligue 1 game with Nice star still playing at World Cup

According to The Athletic, Wahi has found himself at the centre of a legal firestorm following reports that he was arrested on suspicion of match-fixing offences. The 23-year-old, who is currently representing his country on the world’s biggest stage, is the subject of an active investigation concerning his conduct during a Ligue 1 fixture between Nice and Metz on May 17.

An investigation into suspected match-fixing was launched after the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) flagged suspicious betting patterns regarding Wahi's 35th-minute yellow card against Metz, which was his fifth of the season and triggered a suspension for Nice's relegation play-off first leg. Consequently, hours after returning to score twice in the second leg on May 29, the 23-year-old was arrested by French anti-corruption police officers. The investigation aims to establish whether Wahi deliberately earned a yellow card during the contest. 

The timeline of events suggests that Wahi was taken into custody on May 29, less than a fortnight before the tournament began. After a period of questioning by French police, the Nice striker was released while the investigation continued to gather evidence. This allowed him to join up with the Ivorian national team ahead of their crucial group-stage fixtures.

Confirming the details of the operation, a spokesperson for the Marseille public prosecutor’s office provided a detailed statement: “We can confirm that a 23-year-old football player, competing in France’s Ligue 1, was arrested on May 29 as part of an investigation opened by the Marseille public prosecutor’s office into allegations of organized fraud, organized sports corruption, handling of proceeds of crime and money laundering.”

While the player has returned to the pitch, the legal process in France is far from over. The prosecutor’s office clarified that the player was released following his interview but remains a person of interest in the case. The statement also noted that the individual involved is not a member of the French national team, despite his residency and professional commitments in the country - as the striker only switched allegiance to the West African country from France, whom he represented at youth level, in March.

“He was released after he was interviewed in police custody. The investigations remain ongoing. The football player is not a member of the French selection taking part in the World Cup,” the spokesperson added. 

Ivory Coast's progress in the tournament remains entirely unaffected by the news. Wahi was a starter in his nation’s 1-0 victory over Ecuador on Sunday night, showing little outward sign of the legal pressure building in Europe. He played 55 minutes in the win against Ecuador, hitting the bar just before being substituted. The football world now waits for further clarity, with Ivory Coast’s next game against Germany on Saturday night before their final Group E clash against Curacao next Thursday.