The Leeds United winger has explained his World Cup hopes after the Switzerland boss ended his exile
Noah Okafor back in Swiss colours in March(Image: Daniela Porcelli/Getty Images)
Noah Okafor says his long-standing rift with Switzerland boss Murat Yakin is over and is confident he can make the World Cup squad for this summer.
Prior to March’s call-up, Yakin had failed to select Okafor since November 2024, having given various public comments about how he felt the Leeds United winger had not met his demands.
However, while Okafor did not get on the pitch in March, his return to the fold as an injury replacement marked the end of his 14-month exile ahead of this summer’s World Cup. A month earlier, the player and Switzerland chiefs had met to clear the air and agree to start afresh.
Since the start of February, the 25-year-old has recorded six goals and three assists for Leeds, including the famous double at Old Trafford in which the Whites secured their first league win away at Manchester United for 45 years.
This run is made more impressive by the fact that the £18m summer signing missed five games between February and March due to a hamstring injury. Daniel Farke has said the talks with the Swiss national team have contributed to his rise in form.
When asked specifically about the meeting by BBC Radio Leeds, Okafor said: “I think everything has gone well. I think it was the start of February, they were here and I spoke to them. It was a really good and positive meeting.
Leeds’ Noah Okafor celebrates after scoring(Image: AP)
“I would say the problems and the issues of the past are fixed. We leave it to the side, we try to look forward. I’m always happy and proud to wear the Swiss jersey.
“For sure, I would be happy to go to the World Cup with my country. There’s nothing nicer. I’m confident about this. But first I have to finish these three games here then we will see what happens.”
Leeds are on the cusp of mathematically securing Premier League survival this weekend following last week’s 3-1 win over Burnley. Should West Ham lose to Arsenal then the Whites’ status will be secured.
If West Ham – United’s final day opponents – do get a result, Leeds must match or better it against Tottenham Hotspur on Monday to secure safety in front of their travelling support. Okafor says he will be watching the Hammers host the Gunners on Sunday evening.
He explained: “Yeah, if I said no I would be lying. For sure, we’re going to have an eye on it. But in the end we just focus on our game against Spurs.”
On the test of travelling to Tottenham, Okafor added: “Of course they will fight – but we will fight. They are the home team so their fans will be on it and try to push them.
“But we just try to do our game. From the first second [we need to] be aggressive and fight like always and try to win.”
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