NOAH OKAFOR WITHDRAWS FROM SWITZERLAND SQUAD UNDER YAKIN

Noah Okafor has announced he will not play again for Switzerland whilst Murat Yakin remains head coach, citing a breakdown in trust with the manager. The Leeds United forward, who has earned 26 caps for the Swiss national team since his 2019 debut, made the declaration in a statement released on Thursday via his Instagram account. Okafor attributed his decision to his treatment by the current leadership rather than to limited playing time at the World Cup, where he featured for 19 minutes as a substitute in their last-32 win over Algeria.

In his statement, Okafor wrote that "things happened that hurt me deeply" and that "trust was broken" and "commitments were not kept". He specifically referenced the reaction to minor mistakes during his appearance against Algeria, describing how he had reflected on his position in the weeks that followed. The Swiss Football Association confirmed it had been informed of his decision on Thursday, with a spokesperson telling Reuters the organisation respects his choice and wishes him success with his club.

Okafor joined Leeds from AC Milan in August 2025 for £18m. Switzerland's next competitive fixture is scheduled for 26 September, when they travel to North Macedonia for their opening Nations League match in the 2026-27 campaign. Yakin has served as head coach of the Swiss national team since August 2021.