Noah Okafor quits Switzerland over ‘broken trust’ under coach

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Leeds United forward Noah Okafor has announced his decision to stop playing for Switzerland under coach Murat Yakin, citing a breakdown in trust with the manager.

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The 26-year-old, who has made 26 appearances for Switzerland since his international debut in 2019, said his decision was not linked to his limited playing time.

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Okafor featured for only 19 minutes at the World Cup, coming on as a substitute in Switzerland’s last-32 victory over Algeria.

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However, in a statement posted on Instagram on Thursday, the forward said his decision was based on how he had been treated by the national team’s current leadership.

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“My decision has nothing to do with my playing time.

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“Things happened that hurt me deeply. Trust was broken. Commitments were not kept,” he said.

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He also referred to the reaction to his performance against Algeria, saying the criticism of his mistakes affected him.

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“When I was allowed to play against Algeria, people reacted to minor mistakes far away from our goal in a way that hurt me deeply,” he said.

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Okafor said he subsequently decided that he no longer wanted to represent Switzerland under Yakin.

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“In the weeks that followed, I thought a lot and decided for myself that I no longer want to play for the national team under the current manager,” he added.

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The Swiss Football Association confirmed that it had been informed of the player’s decision.

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A spokesperson told Reuters, “We respect his decision and wish him every success with his club.”

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Switzerland will begin their 2026-27 Nations League campaign away to North Macedonia on September 26.

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Okafor joined Leeds from Italian club AC Milan in August 2025 for £18m.

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Yakin has been Switzerland’s head coach since August 2021.

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