Noah Okafor’s Switzerland decision explained as Leeds forward closes international chapter

Noah Okafor’s decision to retire from international football has received a fresh response from Switzerland director Pierluigi Tami, who has backed Murat Yakin’s handling of the Leeds United attacker.

Okafor announced his international retirement earlier this month following a difficult relationship with the national-team setup. The 26-year-old finished his Switzerland career with two goals and two assists from 26 appearances.

Despite Tami admitting he did not want to lose a player of Okafor’s quality, he believes the forward ultimately struggled to fit the tactical demands of Yakin’s team.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Tami addressed the situation after Yakin had already criticised Okafor’s performance against Algeria at the World Cup.

“I never wanted to lose such a good athlete like him,” Tami said, via Blick. “Noah’s qualities sometimes don’t fit his playing style.”

Tami believes Switzerland made genuine attempts to reintegrate Okafor following previous disagreements.

The pair held positive talks with the Leeds forward in England earlier this year, paving the way for his eventual return to the national team. However, an injury kept him out in March and he subsequently made only one appearance at the World Cup.

“Murat tried everything to integrate him,” Tami added. “In the end, we weren’t satisfied with his performance.”

The comments underline how difficult it would have been for Okafor to regain a regular place while Yakin remained Switzerland manager.

Their relationship had already become strained around Euro 2024, while Okafor publicly criticised both Yakin and Tami in November 2025.

Yakin remains contracted until July 2028, but Okafor has now taken the decision out of the manager’s hands by ending his international career.

That allows him to concentrate entirely on Leeds.

Okafor has recorded one goal and one assist from seven appearances for Daniel Farke’s side this season. With Leeds unbeaten through their opening five Premier League matches, his priority will now be establishing himself as a consistent contributor at Elland Road without international football providing another distraction.

Okafor’s international retirement means there is currently no prospect of another Switzerland appearance unless he eventually reverses his decision.

His attention instead turns to Leeds, where he will attempt to improve on his one goal and one assist from seven appearances and establish a more influential role in Farke’s Premier League side.