Swiss striker Okafor refuses to stay under Yakin any longer for the team

Noah Okafor, the 26‑year‑old striker of Leeds United, announced via social media that he will no longer make himself available for the Swiss national team as long as Murat Yakin remains head coach. He says his trust in the staff has been deeply damaged.

Okafor withdraws under Yakin

In his message Okafor wrote that nothing was ever more beautiful for him than playing for Switzerland, but that the current circumstances force him to take a step back.

He makes clear that his decision has nothing to do with a lack of playing time; at the World Cup he only received nineteen minutes against Algeria.

Okafor apologized for past mistakes, emphasizing that young players make mistakes and he has offered his apologies for them.

But he explains that it is mainly about how he was treated: promises were not kept and even small errors were punished in a way that deeply hurt him.

The Swiss, who has reflected a lot in the weeks afterwards, decided not to play for the national team under the current head coach and wishes the team all success.

He expresses his satisfaction with Switzerland's performance at the World Cup and believes the team has achieved great things, despite his departure.

This step puts pressure on Yakin to restore the relationship with his players, an issue that the Swiss Football Association now has to address.