Leeds United forward Noah Okafor announced that he will no longer play for the Switzerland national team indefinitely following a complete falling-out with head coach Murat Yakin..

Leeds United's Switzerland international forward Noah Okafor announced via his personal Instagram account on Friday that he will no longer play for the Switzerland national team indefinitely following a complete falling-out with head coach Murat Yakin.

In his statement, Okafor explained that his decision was not driven by a lack of playing time, but rather by Yakin's persistent targeting of him and the tendency to make him a scapegoat for the team's failures.

Okafor wrote: "My decision has nothing to do with playing time; rather, things happened that hurt me deeply—trust was broken, and promises were not kept."

"When I had the chance to play against Algeria, the reaction to some of my minor errors—even those occurring far from our own goal—hurt me deeply."

"After much reflection over the following weeks, I have decided that I am no longer willing to play for the Switzerland national team under the current head coach."

According to local Swiss media outlets, officials from the Swiss Football Association were informed of Okafor's decision the day before the announcement; they stated that they respect his choice and wish him well for the future.

Subsequently, the BBC asked Leeds United manager Daniel Farke for his thoughts on the matter; he indicated that he had been aware of the situation before it became public and affirmed that the club would support Okafor.

Meanwhile, rumours are circulating online that many other players within the national team are also unhappy with Murat Yakin, though these claims have not yet been confirmed by any authoritative media outlets or journalists.

About Noah Okafor

The 25-year-old Okafor was born on May 24, 2000, in Binningen, Switzerland. He is 1.85 meters tall and primarily plays as a center-forward but can also play as a left winger, right winger, or support striker. He holds dual Swiss and Nigerian citizenship, and his younger brothers, Elijah and Isaiah, are both Switzerland U23s international players. 

Okafor joined the youth academy of non-league club Arisdorf at the age of eight, moved to the FC Basel youth academy the following year, and completed his Basel first-team debut by coming on as a substitute in May 2018.

During his two-year stint at Basel, Okafor won the Swiss Cup once.

On 2020 winter transfer window deadline day, Okafor joined Red Bull Salzburg for a fee of €11 million, arriving as the replacement for Japan international winger Takumi Minamino (who had left for Liverpool).

During his three-year spell at Salzburg, Okafor helped the club achieve the domestic double—winning both the Austrian Bundesliga and the Austrian Cup—in three consecutive seasons.

In July 2023, Okafor joined AC Milan for €15 million.

During his time with I Rossoneri, Okafor won the Supercoppa Italiana once and also had a loan spell at Napoli.

In August 2025, Okafor joined Leeds United for £18 million.

Since joining the Whites, Okafor has so far made 38 appearances for the Premier League club across all competitions to date, scoring 8 goals and providing 4 assists.

Image source: Internet / BBC