Ivory Coast forward Wahi allowed into Canada after visa issue resolved

The Ivorian Football Federation (FIF) said in a statement that forward Elye Wahi had been allowed into Canada after a technical visa problem at the border was resolved. Wahi had been briefly held on the day he was expected to rejoin the squad, raising fears he would miss the match window. The federation said it had been in close contact with both Canadian authorities and FIFA.

Ivory Coast's World Cup campaign is being followed closely by the country's large diaspora in Canada, and the team is considered one of the continent's strongest. Wahi is a senior striker on the squad list, and the team's match planning would have been disrupted by his absence. The federation said quality on the pitch must be matched by tighter administrative preparation.

International sports organisers reminded teams that handling visa technicalities at the last minute carries risk. FIFA said Canadian authorities had largely processed fast-track football visas well, but isolated failures can have heavy consequences. Wahi did not make a public statement after rejoining the camp.