Noah Okafor’s weighted sprints and track work power his Leeds United pre-season | OneFootball

Daniel Farke has confirmed Noah Okafor will rejoin Leeds United’s pre-season this week after an extended break, and the Swiss forward has been grafting rather than resting.

According to Leedsunited.news, the 26-year-old was given extra time off after Switzerland reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals, yet he featured only as a substitute amid rumoured tension with Murat Yakin.

Following the 12th July exit to Argentina, he skipped a full switch-off and reunited with former Swiss sprinter Rolf Fongue during his three-week holiday, focusing on stride efficiency, explosive acceleration and top-end speed. They have been working together privately since February 2025.

Instagram posts from Fongue showed Okafor grinding through the Swiss summer, including weighted sled sprints on an outdoor track.

Okafor has credited the coach for lifting his top speed from 35.5 km/h to 37.5 km/h, translating to tangible gains on the pitch.

When a February chart tracking ‘sprinting distance vs peak sprint velocity’ surfaced, he led the Premier League for sprinting distance per 90, out-working Erling Haaland, Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko, while also posting the highest peak velocities.

He is one of three Leeds first-teamers yet to play in pre-season as Farke finalises preparations, but his Swiss micro-camp leaves him primed for Leeds’ high-press and transition demands on return to Thorp Arch.

Source: Leedsunited.news

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