Noah Okafor quits Switzerland over ‘broken trust’ under coach

Leeds United's Swiss striker #19 Noah Okafor celebrates after scoring their second goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on April 13, 2026. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

“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.

“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.

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

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

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

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

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

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