By Adegboyega Adeleye
Leeds United forward Noah Okafor has made himself unavailable for Switzerland while Murat Yakin remains manager, saying his trust in the coach has been broken.
According to Reuters, the 26-year-old announced the decision on Thursday, insisting that his limited playing time was not responsible for his decision to step away from the national team.
Okafor featured for only 19 minutes as a substitute in Switzerland’s last-32 World Cup victory over Algeria, taking his international appearances to 26.
“My decision has nothing to do with my playing time,” Okafor said in a statement on Instagram.
He said events surrounding his treatment by the national team had “hurt me deeply”, adding that “trust was broken” and commitments were not kept.
Okafor also said criticism of minor mistakes he made after coming on against Algeria had affected him.
“Things happened that hurt me deeply. Trust was broken. Commitments were not kept,” he said.
After reflecting on the situation in the weeks that followed, Okafor said he had decided that he no longer wanted to play for Switzerland under the current manager.
The Swiss Football Association acknowledged his decision and said it respected his choice.
“Noah informed us today that, for the time being, he will no longer play for the national team. We respect his decision and wish him every success with his club,” an association spokesperson said.
Okafor, who joined Leeds United, has 26 caps for Switzerland and remains available for a return to international football if circumstances change.
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