Noah Okafor grateful after surprise Switzerland recall as injury replacement ends national-team exile | OneFootball

Noah Okafor has been recalled by Switzerland as an injury replacement, ending his absence since November 2024.

The player said in a post that he was grateful to be back and would give everything to help the team, adding that his World Cup dream remains alive.

He comes in after Filip Ugrinić was ruled out of the training camp through injury. Okafor returned on Saturday from a hamstring issue that kept him out of five league and cup matches.

The 25-year-old has 24 caps. For Leeds he has mostly operated on the left beside Dominic Calvert-Lewin or out wide, and has also played centrally and on the right.

His relationship with head coach Murat Yakin had been strained over perceived lack of game time, limited communication and being used away from his best position.

This season he has made 15 Premier League starts plus nine outings from the bench, scoring four goals without an assist.

Switzerland face Germany and Okafor’s Leeds team-mate Anton Stach on Friday, then visit Norway next Tuesday. They are due to meet Qatar and Jesse Marsch’s Canada, plus a yet-to-be-confirmed play-off qualifier, in the World Cup group stage.

Source: yorkshireevenpost.co.uk